1 dead, 6 missing after tugboat capsizes off Busan

One crew member died, one was rescued and six remain missing after a tugboat capsized and sank off Busan, prompting an all-out rescue operation.

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The Korea Coast Guard conducts a search and rescue operation for missing crew members who were aboard a tugboat that capsized in waters off Busan on Sept. 2.
The Korea Coast Guard conducts a search and rescue operation for missing crew members who were aboard a tugboat that capsized in waters off Busan on Sept. 2.

A tugboat capsized off the coast of Busan on Wednesday afternoon, leaving one crew member dead and six missing.

The 286-ton Busan-registered tugboat capsized at around 1:30 p.m. in waters about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) southeast of Oryuk Island, according to the Korea Coast Guard Station Busan and others.

A Korean crew member was found unconscious by the Coast Guard and pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital, and an Indonesian crew member was rescued by a passing cargo vessel.

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Eight crew members were believed to have been aboard the vessel. 

The tugboat has sunk completely and is now lying at a depth of 87 meters (285 feet) as of 3:58 p.m.

The Coast Guard dispatched personnel and equipment to the scene and is conducting a search-and-rescue operation for the seven missing crew members.

President Lee Jae Myung also ordered an "all-out" effort to rescue missing sailors.

"President Lee has instructed that lives be saved utilizing all possible resources and that the accident is safely managed," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said.

Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo also ordered authorities to mobilize all available rescue resources.

"Mobilize all available rescue resources and make every effort to save lives," Hwang said.


BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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