A Vietnamese among those missing after fishing boat sinks off South Korea
(VOVWORLD) -Four people were dead and six others missing, including a Vietnamese national after a fishing boat sank off the coast of South Korea Sunday morning, Yonhap News Agency said on Sunday.
The Korean Coast Guard rescues a crew member from a sunken fishing boat off the coast of Yeosu. Photo: Yonhap |
The Korean Coast Guard said it received reports that the 139-ton vessel with 14 crew members on board were missing at 1:41 a.m. local time on Sunday in waters about 17km east of Habaek Island and about 316m south of Seoul.
The Korean Coast Guard have so far rescued eight crew members, but four South Koreans died, including the vessel's captain. The two rescued Indonesians have been moved to the Coast Guard's office in Yeosu to be interviewed about the accident, while the Vietnamese nationals are being treated at a nearby hospital after showing signs of hypothermia.
One of the foreign sailors said the vessel had capsized due to the wind and waves, but authorities are expected to conduct an investigation into the exact cause of the accident.
The Coast Guard has deployed 23 vessels and eight aircraft, along with support from other agencies and fishing vessels, to try to find the missing crew members.