The South Korean fishing vessel Geumsong sank off Jeju Island in the East China Sea. As a result of the emergency, two people died and 12 are missing. This was reported by the Yonhap agency in reference to the South Korean Coast Guard Administration.
The Geumseong mackerel and sardine fishing boat set sail from Seogwipo Port on the southern coast of Jeju shortly before noon on Thursday. At the time of the incident, two people were inside the boat, including the cook. “Most of the remaining crew members were working on deck, presumably without life jackets.” — the publication quotes the department’s message.
According to the agency, there were 27 crew members on the 129-ton ship. Among them, 16 are South Korean citizens and 11 are Indonesian citizens.
The distress signal was recorded at 04:31 local time. At that time, the ship was 24 kilometers from Jeju Island.
Of the 27 crew members, 15 were rescued. Two of them suffered cardiac arrest and were taken to a nearby hospital, where they both later died.
12 people are listed as missing. Of them, 10 are South Koreans and 2 are Indonesians.
According to the rescued fishermen, while transferring the catch from the Kymson to another boat, it capsized, causing a flood.
It is reported that the president of South Korea Yoon Seok Yeol was instructed to mobilize all available resources to search and rescue the missing.
