Three crew were dead and four missing after an explosion and fire aboard a freight ship anchored off the coast of western Australia on Sunday, Lloyds shipping service said.
It said the Australian coastguard had reported that the Hong Kong registered Nego Kim, owned by by Wallem Shipmanagement Ltd, was bound for the port of Dampier when it suffered an explosion and fire in its number one hold 10 nautical miles off the coast.
Lloyds said the Australian Marine Rescue Coordination Centre had reported the fire had been extinguished and damage was unknown, but the hull of the ship was not thought to have been breached.
Weather at the scene was said to be poor and the ship was expected to be towed into Dampier on Monday.
(Xinhua News Agency November 19,2001)
