Busan: A fishing vessel sank off the coast of the southeastern city of Busan, leaving the captain dead and one crew member missing, the Coast Guard said. The 79-ton vessel sent a distress signal around noon before sinking 61.6 kilometers east of Busan's Songjeong harbor.
According to Yonhap News Agency, of the eight crew members onboard, seven - three South Koreans and four Indonesians - were rescued, while one Indonesian remained missing. One of the South Koreans, the captain in his 60s, was found in a state of cardiac arrest and transferred to a hospital but he later died.
The Coast Guard reported that it has sent patrol ships and aircraft to search the site of the sinking. The vessel appeared to have capsized and sunk while turning as it pulled up fishing nets.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok gave emergency instructions to the oceans ministry and the Coast Guard to first rescue the missing crew member in collaboration with patrol ships and nearby fishing vessels, according to his office. He also instructed the defense minister to send available personnel and equipment to support the rescue operations.