1 dead, 6 missing after tugboat capsizes in waters off Busan
Summary
A tugboat capsized in waters off Busan on Wednesday, leaving one crew member dead and six others missing, the Coast Guard said. The 286-ton vessel had left Busan Port in the morning to tow a commercial ship and overturned at 1:29 p.m. The Coast Guard and Navy deployed multiple vessels and aircraft for the search, while President Lee Jae Myung ordered all available resources mobilized. The tugboat sank completely at 3:27 p.m., and the cause remains under investigation.
Key Facts
- The tugboat carried six South Korean and two Indonesian crew members.
- An Indonesian crew member in his 50s was rescued by a 66,332-ton Liberia-flagged commercial vessel.
- The Coast Guard dispatched 13 vessels, and later mobilized a total of 19 vessels with the Navy, Busan metropolitan government, and fire authorities for overnight search efforts.
- Search efforts were complicated by waves reaching up to 1.5 meters and wind speeds of up to 6 meters per second.
A Coast Guard vessel carries out rescue operations in response to a capsized tugboat in waters off the southeastern city of Busan, Wednesday. Courtesy of Busan Coast Guard
BUSAN — A tugboat capsized in waters off the southeastern city of Busan on Wednesday, leaving one crew member dead and six others missing, the Coast Guard said.
The 286-ton vessel, carrying six South Korean and two Indonesian crew members, overturned in the waters at 1:29 p.m. after setting off from Busan Port in the morning to tow a commercial ship, according to the Coast Guard.
An Indonesian crew member in his 50s was rescued by the 66,332-ton Liberia-flagged commercial vessel, while the Coast Guard rescued a South Korean crew member in his 50s, who was found unconscious.
Coast Guard officials rushed the South Korean crew member to a hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.
The Coast Guard said it dispatched 13 vessels for the search efforts for the missing, while the Navy deployed the ROKS Gwangyang salvage and rescue ship and other vessels and aircraft for the operation.
The Coast Guard said search efforts face difficulties due to waves reaching up to 1.5 meters in height and wind speeds of up to 6 meters per second.
The tugboat completely sank in the waters at 3:27 p.m., about two hours after capsizing, according to the Coast Guard.
President Lee Jae Myung has instructed authorities to mobilize all available resources for the search and rescue efforts.
A tugboat capsized in waters off the southeastern city of Busan on Wednesday, leaving one crew member dead and six others missing, the Coast Guard said.
The 286-ton vessel, carrying six South Korean and two Indonesian crew members, overturned in the waters at 1:29 p.m. after setting off from Busan Port in the morning to tow a commercial ship, according to the Coast Guard.
An Indonesian crew member in his 50s was rescued by the 66,332-ton Liberia-flagged commercial vessel, while the Coast Guard rescued a South Korean crew member in his 50s, who was found unconscious.
Coast Guard officials rushed the South Korean crew member to a hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.
The Coast Guard said it dispatched 13 vessels for the search efforts for the missing, while the Navy deployed the ROKS Gwangyang salvage and rescue ship and other vessels and aircraft for the operation.
It later launched an overnight search for the missing crew members at 7 p.m., mobilizing a total of 19 vessels from the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Busan metropolitan government and fire authorities.
The Coast Guard said search efforts face difficulties due to waves reaching up to 1.5 meters in height and wind speeds of up to 6 meters per second.
The tugboat completely sank in the waters at 3:27 p.m., about two hours after capsizing, according to the Coast Guard.
Some experts have raised the possibility that the tugboat capsized while towing the vessel, though the exact cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The Coast Guard has set up an investigation team to determine the cause of the accident.
President Lee Jae Myung has instructed authorities to mobilize all available resources for the search and rescue efforts.
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