A North Korean freighter, suspected of smuggling coal, sank after colliding with a Chinese ship in the Yellow Sea in late February.
A North Korean freighter suspected of trying to smuggle coal sank after packing against a Chinese ship in the Yellow Sea last month, leaving between 15 and 20 crew members dead, the South Korean press said Thursday.
The accident occurred in late February, near a port in southeastern China, when the North Korean ship sailed with the automatic identification system (AIS), a common practice to escape international sanctions, according to the which cites a source familiar with the case.
The clash occurred in a dense fog zone, which may have hindered visibility and contributed to the incident.
“The North Korean ship seems to have been overwhelmed with coal. Both the cargo and the ship sink,” the source said.
Chinese authorities launched rescue operations, but only managed to save some members of the North Korean ship’s crew. The Chinese ship suffered lower damage to the collision.
Both Pyongyang and Beijing have so far avoided commenting on the incident, which could indicate an attempt to minimize exposure to possible criticism for violation of international sanctions. North Korean coal exports have been prohibited since 2017 under the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council.
In March 2017, another North Korean freighter sank after packing against a Chinese ship under similar circumstances, although in this case China communicated the incident and rescued all members of the crew.
