Three crew members of the Panama-flagged cargo ship Apollo Kita have died after being found unconscious in a cargo hold of vessel in Japan.
The three male victims had apparently been cleaning the hold of the ship at an anchorage off Ishigakijima Island in Okinawa Prefecture when they were found by fellow crew members last Friday.
Authorities rushed the men to a local hospital where they were confirmed dead.
The ship, Apollo Kita, had arrived from Malaysia with a load of timber.
Investigators are looking into whether the men suffocated from a lack of oxygen in the hold.
As of Tuesday, the ship was still at anchor in Osaka Bay, according to AIS ship tracking data.
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