One Chinese crew member was in a critical condition and eight others were missing after two cargo ships collided at the mouth of Tokyo Bay early Tuesday, Japan´s coastguard said.The Panamanian-flagged Beagle III, a 12,630-ton vessel carrying steel coil, sank after colliding with the South Korean-registered Pegasus Prime in the Uraga waterway.
The accident happened at about 3:10 am (1810 GMT Monday). Of the 20 Chinese crew aboard Beagle III, “twelve have been rescued, but one of them is in a state of cardio-respiratory arrest,” said a coastguard official, adding that eight others were still missing. In Japan the term “Cardio-respiratory arrest” is often taken as an euphemism for death.
