▲ The Korea Coast Guard conducts rescue operations following a vessel capsizing accident off the coast of Busan on the 2nd.
A tugboat carrying eight people capsized and completely sank off the coast of Busan today (the 2nd), leaving one dead and six missing.
At around 1:30 p.m. today, a report was received that a 286-ton tugboat had capsized in waters approximately 9 kilometers east of Oryukdo, Busan.
It was determined that eight crew members were on board the vessel, including six South Koreans and two Indonesians.
Among the crew members on the ship at the time of the accident, one 50-year-old Indonesian crew member was rescued by a passing commercial vessel nearby.
However, a 50-year-old South Korean crew member found unconscious inside the vessel by the Coast Guard was transported to a hospital but ultimately pronounced dead.
The remaining six crew members are currently missing, and the capsized tugboat completely sank 87 meters to the seabed about two hours after the accident occurred.
It was learned that the tugboat departed from Busan Port this morning to tow a large container ship and suffered the accident while moving to perform the towing operation.
The Coast Guard and the Navy are conducting a joint search by fully mobilizing available resources such as vessels and aircraft, but rescue operations are facing difficulties due to high waves and strong winds at the scene.
President Lee Jae-myung received a report on the accident and instructed to "do everything possible to rescue lives by mobilizing all available resources."
(Photo provided by Busan Coast Guard, Yonhap News)
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