14 sailors missing in South Korea's southern waters

[CHIMO]

Source: Associated Press

SEOUL — Fourteen sailors aboard a ship carrying toxic chemicals were missing Tuesday after their vessel was thought to have sunk in South Korea's southern waters.

South Korea's coast guard and navy started searching for the ship early Tuesday after it sent out a distress signal off Yeosu, 455 kilometres south of Seoul, said spokesman Eum Seung-ye.

The ship was carrying 1,800 tonnes of nitric acid when it went missing. The ship was sailing to Taiwan after leaving the southern port city Gwangyang on Monday night, said Eum.



Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071225.wskorea1225/BNStory/International/home

[acmavm]

1. Sad, sad, sad about the loss of life of these sailors. But the last line of

the article leaves me skeptical:

<snip>

Choi Eun-ju, a regional coast guard officer, said because nitric acid easily dilutes it is unlikely to pose a threat to the ocean or marine life if the ship sank.

<snip>

Somehow I believe the old thesis 'for every action there's an equal reaction' (if you get my drift). Regardless of whether or not nitric acid dilutes easily of whatever, I don't think this is just a harmless oops when it comes to being a treat to the ocean or sea life. But I'm not a chemist.