The fishing boat, which had about 10 passengers, including five Indonesian nationals, capsized after colliding with the barge in waters near the city of Gyeongju, according to Kim Eul-dong, an official at the Pohang coast guard.
The seven crew members were found inside the boat in a state of cardiac arrest and were pronounced dead at the hospital, the coast guard said. The boat capsized about 270km southeast of capital Seoul at 5.43am (local time), Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korean authorities have mobilized dozens of emergency workers, along with 15 coast guard vessels and six helicopters to find the missing Indonesian nation. The passengers were rescued and rushed to the hospitals.
Prime minister Han Duck-soo earlier ordered an emergency rescue operation. The ship also did not appear damaged.
MA/PR
Your Comment