Fishing Boat Collides With Sand Barge & Sinks Off South Korean Coast, Leaving 7 Dead & 1 Missing

A fishing vessel carrying eight crew members capsized after colliding with a sand barge off South Korea’s southeastern coast early Monday morning, leaving seven people dead and one missing.

The tragic accident occurred around 5:43 a.m., approximately 6 kilometres southeast of Gyeongju, a city 270 kilometres from Seoul.

The fishing vessel, identified as Geumgwang weighed 29 tons and had a crew of three South Koreans and five Indonesian nationals.

It collided with a 456-ton sand barge that was carrying 10 crew members. While the barge was undamaged and its crew unharmed, the fishing boat overturned and sank.

An extensive search and rescue operation was launched immediately after the accident. The South Korean Coast Guard deployed 15 patrol vessels and six helicopters, with assistance from the Navy, firefighting departments and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Divers located the capsized fishing boat and recovered the bodies of seven crew members from inside. All were in cardiac arrest when found and were later declared dead at local hospitals.

Authorities confirmed that the deceased were three South Koreans, and four foreigners, but details about the nationalities of the foreign victims were not provided.

The eighth crew member, an Indonesian national, remains missing, and the search to locate him is underway.

South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered an emergency rescue operation to ensure every resource was utilised. Despite the response, no survivors were found inside the fishing boat.

The exact cause of the collision is still unknown. Initial investigations suggest that it may have occurred due to inattentiveness or human error on the part of the crew.

Officials have launched a detailed investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the accident. Families of the deceased are mourning for their loved ones while waiting for the investigation reports.

“This kind of accident is heartbreaking,’ said one local fisherman. “We rely on the sea for our livelihoods, but it’s always a risk,” he added.

References: KoreaTimes, VOA News

Source: Maritime Shipping News