Tokyo, Nov 11 (IANS): A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) minesweeper vessel capsized and sank on Monday after catching fire off the coast of the southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka the previous day, local media reported.

The fire was extinguished after the MSDF's minesweeper Ukushima toppled on its side shortly after midnight, allowing the Coast Guard to begin search operations, but one crewman remains unaccounted for, the local Coast Guard office said.

The Coast Guard has launched a search and rescue operation for the missing crewman inside the sunken ship using divers, while the MSDF has launched an investigation of the incident, reports Xinhua, quoting Kyodo News.

The Ukushima, carrying a crew of about 40, reported a fire in the engine room at around 9:40 a.m. (local time) on Sunday when it was sailing some 2.5 kilometres off Oshima island in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Ukushima's crew evacuated to another MSDF minesweeper Toyoshim by around 3:45 p.m. (local time) on Sunday, but an engine room crewman, later identified as 33-year-old petty officer 3rd class Tatsunori Koga, was found absent, while one crewman in his 20s who suffered a non-life-threatening injury was taken to hospital.

At the time of the fire, the two were on duty in the engine room, where the blaze is believed to have started.

The Ukushima which left an MSDF base in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, earlier Sunday, was conducting a drill while sailing to Kagoshima Prefecture.