South Korea: nine people missing in the capsizing of a fishing boat


Three of the crew were rescued by a nearby boat. yang chun/EyeEm / stock.adobe.com

Rescuers are searching for nine people missing after a fishing boat capsized off the southwest coast of South Korea, authorities said on Sunday. The 24-ton vessel capsized in waters off Sinan County, South Jeolla Province late Saturday night to Sunday, according to the Interior Ministry.

Three of the crew members were rescued by a nearby boat, but nine others – including two foreigners – are still missing, the ministry added in a statement. More than a dozen ships and three aircraft from the Coast Guard and the Navy have been dispatched to find the missing people, he said.

Most of the crew are believed to have left the wrecked boat, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for maximum efforts in search and rescue operations, ordering the mobilization of “all available resources” to expand the search area, his cabinet said.



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