Chinese Fishing Vessel Capsizes Off South Korea — 9 Crew Missing, Rescue Underway

Chinese fishing boat sinks off South Korea; nine crew missing

South Korean rescuers searched Monday for nine crew members after a Chinese fishing vessel capsized and sank off the country’s southwestern coast.

The Coast Guard said two crew were rescued by a nearby commercial vessel after the boat overturned about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southwest of the port city of Gunsan. Four patrol vessels, two helicopters and a fixed-wing plane were dispatched to the area to assist in the search.

Rescue teams reported spotting a fuel slick believed to have come from the vessel but have not yet found other debris or equipment tied to the boat. Kim Yeong-cheol of the Gunsan Coast Guard office said the vessel may have been fishing for croaker and hairtail.

The Chinese consulate-general in Gwangju confirmed to state broadcaster CCTV that 11 people were on board and that two have been rescued.

Authorities continue to search the area and have prioritized locating survivors and ensuring environmental risks from the fuel spill are minimized.

The incident follows another capsizing a day earlier: a Chinese fishing boat sank in international waters about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Gageo Island, killing at least two crewmembers. South Korean crews rescued six others from that earlier accident and were searching for three missing crewmembers on Monday.

Status: Search and rescue operations ongoing. No further details on weather or cause have been released.