TONGYEONG, South Korea — A tragic incident occurred off the coast of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, when a fishing boat with nine crew members capsized early Saturday morning, leaving five individuals missing.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 20-ton vessel, carrying two South Koreans and seven Indonesians, overturned in waters 68 kilometers south of an island near Tongyeong at approximately 6:29 a.m.
The rescue team found four crew members following the accident; however, three were discovered unconscious inside the boat and were later pronounced dead at the hospital, including two Indonesian nationals. Another crew member was rescued from the waters, about 13 kilometers from the accident site, as of 3:15 p.m. the same day.
The search for the missing crew members continues, with 12 Coast Guard patrol vessels, four Navy ships, and six helicopters deployed to the scene. The officials have yet to determine the cause of the capsize, as there were no signs of the boat colliding with another vessel or hitting a submerged rock. The fishing boat had set off from Jeju Island at 10:36 a.m. on Thursday. The local authorities are investigating the incident and coordinating efforts to find the missing individuals.