Four dead after fishing boat capsizes off southern South Korea

Four people are confirmed dead after a fishing vessel capsized off the southern coast of South Korea on Saturday, March 9.

The 29-tonne vessel identified as 2 Haesinho was approximately 68 kilometres south of the city of Tongyeong when it overturned on the morning (local time) of Saturday.

Of the vessel’s nine-strong crew, four are confirmed deceased while the remaining five are still missing.

The Indonesian foreign ministry said that the four fatalities include one South Korean and three Indonesian nationals. The missing individuals meanwhile include one South Korean and four Indonesian sailors.

An initial report stated that three of the victims were pulled unconscious from the water and died while being treated in hospital in Tongyeong.

The Korea Coast Guard and other partner agencies are continuing to comb the surrounding waters for any trace of the five missing crewmembers.