3 dead after fishing boat capsizes off South Korea, Yonhap says

SEOUL — Three people who were on board a fishing boat that capsized in waters off South Korea's west coast have died after being taken to hospital and five others were rescued, the Yonhap news agency reported on Monday (Sept 16), citing the coast guard.

The fatalities included two South Koreans and one Indonesian, Yonhap reported.

President Yoon Suk Yeol was briefed about the incident on Monday morning and ordered the oceans and fisheries minister and the head of the coast guard to deploy all available personnel and equipment to conduct a rescue, his office said.

The 35-ton (about 32,000 kilogrammes) fishing boat had capsized near Gunsan city in North Jeolla province at around 7.36am, Yonhap reported earlier, prompting a helicopter and a patrol vessel to be launched.

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