A Maritime Self-Defense Force minesweeper, operating off the coast of Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan, capsized on November 11 after a fire broke out onboard the previous day.

The fire broke out on minesweeper “Ukushima” around 9:40AM on November 10, roughly 2.3 kilometers north of Oshima Island in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture.

The engine in the machine room is suspected to be where the fire started.

There were around 45 people onboard the minesweeper.

One crew member, Petty Officer 3rd Class Koga Tatsunori, 33 years old, is unaccounted for.

A male SDF member in his 20s was transported to a hospital and is in stable condition.

The two were working in the machine room at the time of the fire.

The minesweeper was a wooden warfare ship used to identify and neutralize mines at sea.

The Fukuoka Coast Guard Office began a diving search and investigation on the morning of November 11.