Two South Korean seafarers have died after a serious fire broke out onboard an oil products tanker off Incheon, South Korea, on the night of August 27, 2026.
The vessel, reportedly named DL Amber, is a 7,333-ton oil products tanker. The ship was sailing from Incheon Port toward Ulsan when the fire broke out in the engine room.
Ship name : DL Amber
Lenght : 127,68 mtr
Width : 19,60 mtr
Tonnage : 7333 tons
Flag: Korean
Built : 2010
Owner : Donglim Tanker
According to reports from South Korean authorities, the fire was reported at around 10:38 p.m. on August 27, while the tanker was approximately 7.4 kilometers north of Jawoldo Island in Incheon.
Two Crew Members Found in Engine Room
There were 18 crew members onboard, including 11 South Korean nationals and seven foreign crew members.
During the firefighting and rescue operation, two South Korean male crew members, one in his 20s and another in his 60s, were found in cardiac arrest inside the engine room.
Both seafarers were taken toward port for emergency medical treatment, but unfortunately they could not be saved and were pronounced dead.
The remaining 16 crew members were successfully rescued by the Korean Coast Guard and were reported to be in stable condition.
Fire Started in Engine Room
Initial information indicates that the fire started inside the engine room.
However, authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the fire. An investigation will be carried out to determine what caused the fire and how it developed.
This is an important point because the engine room contains several potential sources of ignition, including fuel systems, lubricating oil, electrical equipment, generators and high-temperature machinery. At this stage, however, it would be incorrect to say that any particular piece of equipment caused the fire.
The Coast Guard has only confirmed that the fire is believed to have originated in the engine room.
Cargo Tanks Were Not Affected
One of the most serious concerns in any tanker fire is the possibility of the fire spreading from the machinery spaces toward the cargo tanks.
In this case, authorities reported that the fire did not spread to the vessel’s main oil cargo tanks.
This prevented the incident from becoming a much larger tanker emergency and there were no reports of an oil spill resulting from the fire.
The tanker had reportedly departed Incheon Port at around 8:00 p.m. and was heading toward Ulsan when the incident occurred.
Coast Guard Fought Fire For More Than Five Hours
The Korean Coast Guard responded with a large-scale rescue and firefighting operation.
According to reports, 24 Coast Guard vessels, one aircraft and three vessels from related agencies were involved in the operation.
Firefighting continued for more than five hours before the fire was finally extinguished at approximately 4:01 a.m. on August 28, around 5 hours and 32 minutes after the initial report.
The incident could have developed into a much more serious maritime disaster if the fire had reached the cargo area.
Investigation Underway
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown at this stage.
South Korean authorities are now investigating the incident, including the cause of the fire, the extent of damage to the tanker and the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two crew members.
For seafarers, engine-room fires remain one of the most dangerous emergencies onboard because they can rapidly fill enclosed spaces with smoke and toxic gases while simultaneously affecting the vessel’s power generation and propulsion systems.
Fortunately, the fire onboard DL Amber was contained before reaching the main cargo tanks, while 16 of the 18 crew members were rescued safely.
The investigation will now be important in determining exactly what happened inside the engine room and what caused the fire to develop so rapidly.
