Korean trawler sinks in Bering Sea
Oryong 501
By Jung Min-ho
A 1,753-ton Korean trawler sank in Russian waters in the Bering Sea, Monday, leaving at least one fisherman dead, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
Some 60 crew members, including 11 Koreans, were aboard the ship, the Oryong 501, owned by Sajo Industry, the ministry said, adding high seas and bad weather were hampering the rescue operations.
At least one Korean fisherman, among eight people rescued as of 9 p.m., died later of hypothermia, the ministry said. The identity of the deceased fisherman was not immediately known.
The ship, working despite poor weather conditions, became stranded at around 1:40 p.m. (KST).
“Russian rescue workers and maritime police were dispatched to the scene after receiving a distress call from the ship’s crew,” a ministry official said. “The exact cause of the sinking is unknown. We suspect there was a problem in the ship’s fish containers.”
“We were told that the crew abandoned the boat after water rushed in tilting the boat to one side,” the official added.
The crew was additionally made up of 13 people from the Philippines and 35 from Indonesia with one Russian inspector, according to the ministry.
The Ministry of Foreign Affair said it has asked the Russian government to quickly search for and rescue the crew members.
“We will continue to make efforts to protect Korean citizens through cooperation with related Korean and Russian organizations,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Oryong 501, built 35 years ago, had been working in the Bering Sea since July, according to the fisheries ministry.
Sajo Industry said it has told all its ships working in the sea to join the rescue operation, without giving further details.