A Myanmar chief officer died after a South Korean tanker sank off Taiwan, according to Myanmar Seamen Union.

The tanker went down in the Taiwan Strait on the morning of October 15. Of the 20 crewmembers, a Myanmar seaman died and the remaining 19 survived after being rescued.

The sunken tanker Kelsey 2 was owned by Wooshin Marine Company of South Korea.

The tanker was reportedly loaded with 7,500 tons of oil and chemicals heading towards Korea from Hong Kong. 

Due to a mechanical failure, the tanker had been operating at a reduced speed since October 14. But it went down after experiencing water ingress in the engine room  on the morning of 15 October, 25 nautical miles (46 km) south of Wuqiu Island in the Taiwan Strait.

The Myanmar seafarer who died in the sinking was chief officer Tin Maung Oo.

Myanmar Seamen Union announced condolences for his family.