Two Indonesian Crew Missing After Fishing Boat Capsizes Off Busan
A fishing boat capsized Thursday in waters off the southeastern port city of Busan, leaving two Indonesian crew members missing and the vessel's South Korean captain dead, maritime authorities said. The 79-ton fishing boat sank after colliding with a 992-ton liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier at 10:10 a.m., according to the Ulsan Coast Guard.
The collision threw all eight crew members of the boat—two South Koreans and six Indonesians—into the sea. The LPG carrier managed to rescue six of the crew members, but two Indonesian nationals, both in their 30s, remained missing hours after the sinking. The Coast Guard has deployed patrol vessels, helicopters, and other equipment near the accident site to locate the two, according to officials.
Among the six rescued was the 62-year-old skipper, who was immediately sent to a hospital as he was deemed in serious condition, but was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. The other five were also taken to hospitals after showing signs of hypothermia, officials said.
President Lee Jae Myung ordered the mobilization of all available resources to rescue those missing immediately after he was briefed on the accident, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. The crew members were reportedly on the deck fishing at the time of the accident.
The Ulsan Coast Guard said it plans to question the rescued crew members, as well as those of the LPG carrier, to find out the exact details of the accident.