Kum San North Korean cargo vessel is reported to have been sank off the east coast of China early on the morning of March 9 after a collision incident with a Chinese fuel tanker.
According to Reuters, the collision took place near the port of Lianyuanhang in Jiangsu province at 4 a.m. Eventually, the boat sank by 6 a.m. No fatalities or injuries were reported. All 27 crew members were rescued and the Chinese tanker was not damaged in the incident, the Ministry of Transport says.
The cargo ship did not appear on a UN list of sanctioned North Korean vessels.
The cause of the collision is not yet clear, but online records suggest that the Kum San had turned off her AIS transponder prior to the incident. Reuters ship tracking data further indicate that the ship was last seen anchored on March 8 near Lianyuanhang port fully loaded with cargo.
This is the second reported casualty of a North Korea cargo ship since the loss of the freighter Chong Gen off Japan in January.
