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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - A Japanese whaling ship caught fire Thursday in icy waters near Antarctica and most crew members were safely evacuated but one was listed as missing, officials said.
The Nisshin Maru sent out a distress call early Thursday after the fire broke out below decks, leaving the ship drifting without power, said Steve Corbett, a spokesman for Maritime New Zealand, whose country is nearest the area.
Most of the 148-member crew were evacuated to three nearby Japanese whaling ships, leaving several behind to fight the blaze and search for crew member Kazutaka Makita, said Hideki Moronuki, an official with the Japan Fisheries Agency.
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