4 dead, 6 missing after South Korea boat sinks

Yeosu

A fishing trawler carrying 14 crew members sank off South Korea’s southern coast early Sunday, leaving four people dead and six missing. Rescue operations are underway, officials said on Sunday.

The 139-ton vessel, with eight South Koreans, three Vietnamese, and three Indonesians on board, was reported missing at 1:41 a.m. near Yeosu, about 316 km south of Seoul. The Coast Guard rescued eight crew members, but four South Koreans, including the 66-year-old captain, were found dead.

Five of the rescued crew were found aboard a life raft, while others were discovered drifting in the water. The two surviving Indonesians have been taken for questioning, while the Vietnamese survivors are receiving treatment for hypothermia.

According to rescued crew members, the vessel capsized after heavily tilting to its left side. The Coast Guard noted that while weather conditions were rough, it was unusual for a 139-ton vessel to sink in 2.5-meter-high waves. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

The trawler, part of a fishing group, departed Busan on Saturday but reportedly did not send a distress signal, raising concerns about the sudden sinking.

A large-scale search operation involving 24 patrol ships, four Navy vessels, and 13 aircraft is ongoing. During the rescue efforts, a Coast Guard high-speed boat capsized due to high waves, but all six on board were safely rescued.