A fuel freighter exploded near the South Korean port of Incheon Sunday morning, killing at least three crew members, dpa quoted local media reports as saying.
The 4,200-ton vessel exploded at sea three miles north of Jawol Island at around 8:05 am, Yonhap News Agency said. The coast guard rescued five crewmen, but eight were still missing.
It said the crew consisted of 11 Koreans and five Myanmarese.
Owner Doola Shipping said the explosion occurred while gas was being drained from the oil tank, Yonhap reported.
"The vessel usually transports diesel, but this time it carried gasoline. We are now examining whether it had any relation to the explosion," a company official was quoted saying.