Ten out of thirteen Chinese fishermen have been missing since around 8 PM local time Thursday, when their boat collided with an unidentified cargo ship near South Korea’s Jeju Island, the Yonhap News Agency reports.
The fishing boat, carrying some ten tonnes of fish and thirty thousand litres of oil, sank some 160 kilometres south of the island. The cargo ship reportedly fled the scene and still remains to be identified.
Three fishermen were saved by the passing fishing boats, while the captain and the chief engineer, along with eight other crewmen, are still missing.
South Korean and Chinese maritime authorities sent two patrol ships each in search of the missing fishermen, with a number of fishing vessels joining the search and rescue efforts.
The rescued fishermen reportedly said that their fishing boat was dropping anchor in bad weather when the cargo ship crashed into the boat’s starboard side.
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World Maritime News Staff; Image: The U.S. Coast Guard