The cause of the fire may have been an engine failure, according to reports.

The incident occurred near a port in Busan

The incident occurred near a port in Busan (Image: Censor.NET)

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Six Russian sailors were injured after their cargo ship burst into flames on Wednesday, according to reports. The fire broke out as the vessel, carrying 23 Russians, experienced what appeared to be an engine failure near Busan, South Korea.

The refridgerated cargo ship, designed to transport perishable goods, was 8km off the port of Gamcheon in Busan at around 7:14am local time when the incident unfolded, according to SHOT. Its entire crew was rescued and six Russian passengers hospitalised, two with serious burns and injuries. Emergency services extinguished the blaze at 8am.

The cargo ship was known as "Crystal Asia", according to Russian media. The country's consulate general confirmed that two people had been "seriously" injured and that the blaze was "quickly extinguished".