On the morning of October 30, 2026, a major fire broke out aboard the tug Cebu Hope while the vessel was sailing from Japan to the Philippines.

The incident occurred approximately 37 kilometres north of the Ikema Island lighthouse, part of the Miyako Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

The Japan Coast Guard received the first report of the fire at around 08:15 local time.

There were six crew members on board, all Japanese nationals.

After the crew was unable to bring the fire under control, they began abandoning the vessel.

The Coast Guard dispatched aircraft, a helicopter and patrol vessels to the area.

At around 09:30, a Coast Guard aircraft located a life raft approximately 300 metres from the burning tug.

Five crew members were found aboard the raft.

Between 10:00 and 10:24, all five seafarers were rescued and taken aboard a helicopter.

According to Japanese authorities, none of the rescued crew members suffered serious injuries.

However, the sixth crew member, the 65-year-old Chief Engineer, was reported missing.

Search efforts continued while firefighting operations were underway.

Patrol vessels from Miyakojima and Naha, together with a specialised rescue team, were sent to the scene.

At around 15:50, rescuers managed to board Cebu Hope.

Approximately 20 minutes later, the Chief Engineer was found inside the vessel’s engine room.

He was unconscious and had suffered severe burns.

His death was later confirmed at the scene.

The fire aboard Cebu Hope was fully extinguished at approximately 17:20.

The cause of the fire has not yet been officially determined.

The Japan Coast Guard is investigating the incident and interviewing the five surviving crew members to establish how the fire started.

Cebu Hope is a tug approximately 36.8 metres long with a gross tonnage of 237 GT.

The vessel was previously known as Shojin Maru and had been operated by Kambara Tug and Marine Services.

Reports indicate that on October 16, 2026, the tug was transferred to a Philippine company linked to Japan’s Tsuneishi Group and renamed Cebu Hope.

The vessel departed Onomichi, Japan, on October 27 and was sailing to the Philippines on a delivery voyage.

After the fire was extinguished, Cebu Hope was taken to Hirara Port on Miyako Island, arriving on the morning of October 31.

According to the company, the Coast Guard found no immediate risk of an oil spill from the damaged vessel.

Five of the six crew members aboard Cebu Hope were rescued. The Chief Engineer died, while the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Japan Coast Guard.