Local Freighter Captain Responds to Distress Signal; Finds no Survivors

Caslemon - Less than an hour ago, an automated distress beacon was broadcast in the Caslemon system. Menerus Jasier, a Gallente freighter pilot conducting a supply run contract on behalf of FedMart, was the first to respond to the call. He discovered a crippled Iteron industrial-class ship, in a scene he described as "disturbing."

"It didn't look like it was attacked by another ship," he stated to local reporters. "Most of the structure was intact, it was just burned out and dead in space. The crew were all dead, too."

There are further reports that freelance salvagers have already begun picking over the ruined ship. Pilots broadcasting over local frequencies claim to have found no cargo of value in the ship, nor have they discovered any sign it was loaded at the time of the fatal blast. However, shipping and handling authority sources in the Essence region record the Iteron as having been leased to the Federation Navy under a short-term contract. The ship was reportedly carrying cargo, though no specifics were given in public records. The destination is also not on public record and the Federation Navy have declined to comment at this time, stating only that they will be conducting their own investigation of the incident.