A South Korean fishing boat sank after colliding with a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier off the country’s southeastern coast on Thursday, leaving its captain dead and two Indonesian crew members missing.
The collision happened at around 10:10 a.m. local time in waters off the port city of Busan, according to the Ulsan Coast Guard.
The 79-ton fishing boat collided with a 992-ton LPG carrier, causing all eight crew members on board to fall into the sea.
The LPG carrier rescued six crew members, but two Indonesian fishermen, both in their 30s, were still missing at the latest update.
The Coast Guard deployed patrol boats, helicopters and other rescue equipment to search for them.
The rescued crew included the 62-year-old South Korean captain of the fishing boat, who was taken to hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m., officials said.
The other five survivors were also taken to hospital after showing signs of hypothermia.
According to the Coast Guard, the fishing boat had eight crew members on board, including two South Koreans and six Indonesians. Officials said the crew was fishing on deck when the collision took place.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered all available resources to be used to rescue the missing crew members after being briefed on the accident, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said.
References: koreatimes, chosun
