Mobilizing All Available Forces to Search for Missing Person
"Suddenly the Engine Room Flooded and It Capsized"
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Seo Young-seo] A fishing vessel carrying 12 crew members capsized near Daebichi Island, Imja-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Three people have been rescued, and nine are missing. Coast guard ships, aircraft, and all available forces are mobilized to conduct search operations with full effort.
The Coast Guard is conducting a search for missing persons after a fishing boat capsized near Daebichi Island, Imja-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do. [Photo by Mokpo Coast Guard Station]
According to Mokpo Coast Guard Station on the 5th, at around 11:19 p.m. on the 4th, the 24-ton coastal trap fishing vessel "Cheongboho" (registered in Incheon) capsized 9 nautical miles (16.6 km) west of Daebichi Island, Imja-myeon, Sinan-gun.
At the time of the accident, there were 12 crew members on board Cheongboho: 9 Koreans, 2 Vietnamese nationals, and 1 Indonesian national.
Three people?Mr. Yoo, Mr. Son, and Indonesian national A?who were not sleeping were rescued, while the remaining nine who were sleeping in the cabin are missing.
The rescued crew members explained that the engine room suddenly flooded with seawater, causing the vessel to quickly overturn and capsize.
The coast guard is conducting search operations to rescue the remaining nine. A total of 26 coast guard vessels, 3 navy vessels, 3 government vessels, 2 civilian ships, 5 coast guard aircraft, and 3 military aircraft have been deployed.
They divided the sea area around the accident site into nine zones, covering 15 nautical miles (27.8 km) east-west and 15 nautical miles (27.8 km) north-south, and conducted searches overnight.
Additionally, 196 flares were fired to secure visibility, and nine personnel?including Mokpo Rotary Wing Aviation Unit air rescuers from the West Sea Regional Coast Guard and West Sea Marine Special Rescue Team members?conducted underwater searches five times in total.
The coast guard is doing its utmost to search for the missing by deploying 34 vessels and 8 aircraft, with coast guard rescue team members conducting underwater searches.
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