At least 14 sailors were reported missing after the ship they were on sank off South Korea's coast early today. The ship was carrying chemicals Agence France-Presse reported.

The Eastern Bright, a ship owned by a Busan-based logistics company,  sank off the port city of Yeosu, about 280 miles (450 km) south of Seoul, after sending a distress call at about 4:20 a.m. local time, the Coast Guard told AFP. The ship had 2,000 tons of nitric acid on board and left Yeosu late yesterday for Taiwan, according to AFP. Nitric acid is colorless with a strong smell, and was to be used for industrial purposes in Taiwan.

“As nitric acid is highly volatile and very soluble in water, if a small amount was spilled, it may not pollute the sea. It may do if a large amount is leaked, but this is unlikely because the acid tanks in the ship were well equipped with safety devices,'' a coast guard official said.

The Coast Guard said there was no danger of a chemical spill.

The incident occurred after South Korea went through its worst oil spill. In early December a tanker leaked 10,500 tons of crude oil off the west coast after a collision with a barge.

One sailor from Myanmar was spotted and salvaged by a rescue boat after the Eastern Bright went down. He was unconscious and the cause of the accident is still unknown.

The rescue teams of the coast guard were still searching for 12 South Koreans and two more sailors from Myanmar in the hostile waters.