Cargo ship damaged in New Year’s Eve fire towed to Japan

The cargo ship that caught fire on New Year’s Eve, killing four crew members and leaving one missing at sea, has been towed to Japan.

Sincerity Ace arrived at Shibushi Bay on the southernmost main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. Officials are in the process of stabilizing the 650-foot vessel, owned by Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., to make sure it’s resting upright and safe for crews to begin the salvage process, according to company spokesman Darrell Wilson.

The ship was listing to the right and aflame when U.S. Coast Guard planes reached it on Dec. 31 about 2,071 miles northwest of Oahu.

There have been no reports of pollutants from the ship being released into the ocean, Wilson said.

“An uneventful, long tow job,” is how Wilson described the trek.

Sincerity Ace was heading from Japan to Hawaii carrying 3,500 Nissan vehicles when it caught fire with 21 crew members on board. Sixteen of them were rescued while four were found unresponsive in the ocean. The last crew member couldn’t be found, and the U.S. Coast Guard stopped the search on Jan. 2.

A Coast Guard official said they have suspended the case.

Shoei Kisen Kaisha is still deciding what to do with Sincerity Ace after the salvage process is completed. One option is sending the vessel to a shipyard for repair work, according to Wilson.