A fire broke out on a fishing vessel catching eels in the open sea off Gunsan late at night, but the Coast Guard rescued all 12 crew members on board.
According to the Gunsan Coast Guard on the 25th, a report was received on the 24th at 11:59 p.m. that a fire had broken out on the 86-ton nearshore eel trap fishing vessel A, operating about 141 km southwest of Eocheongdo, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk.
At around 11:59 PM on the 24th, a fire broke out on the 86-ton nearshore eel trap fishing vessel A, which was operating about 141 km southwest of Eocheongdo, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk. All 12 crew members were rescued. [Photo by Gunsan Coast Guard]
The Coast Guard activated the regional rescue headquarters and dispatched available forces, including emergency rescue patrol vessels. Upon arrival at the scene, the Coast Guard quickly transferred all 12 crew members who had escaped from vessel A and were on a liferaft to the patrol vessel and rescued them. It is known that they are currently focusing all efforts on extinguishing the fire on board.
The rescued crew members of vessel A are fortunately reported to be in good health without serious injuries. The Coast Guard plans to transfer them to Mokpo Port for a thorough health check.
A Coast Guard official said, "Since the hull of vessel A is made of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), the flames are not easily extinguished, and firefighting operations are ongoing," adding, "Patrol vessels have been deployed to the accident area, and safety management is being conducted by broadcasting warnings to passing ships in nearby waters using communication devices."
The Coast Guard will investigate the exact cause of the accident by questioning the captain and others, based on statements that an alarm sounded in the engine room before the fire broke out.
The weather at the scene is a southwest wind blowing at 4 to 6 meters per second, with waves about 1 meter high.
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