South Korean authorities said Sunday that rescuers are searching for nine people missing after a fishing boat they were carrying capsized off the country’s southwestern coast.
The 24-ton ship capsized in the waters on Sunday off the coast of Sinan County in South Jeolla Province, the South Korean Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said a nearby ship managed to rescue three crew members, but nine others, including two foreigners, are still missing.
It added that it had sent more than 12 ships and three coast guard and navy aircraft to search for the missing persons.
South Korean news agency (Yonhap) quoted Interior Minister Lee Sang-min as saying that most of the crew were believed to have left the ill-fated ship.
South Korean President Yoon Sok-yol called for maximum efforts in search and rescue operations and ordered the mobilization of “all available resources” to expand the search area, his office said.
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