Coast Guard, Navy launch joint search after Chinese vessel sinks near Yeonpyeong

A vessel believed to be a Chinese fishing boat was reported to be sinking in waters near Yeonpyeong Island in Ongjin County, Incheon, on Wednesday.

The Korea Coast Guard and Navy are conducting a joint search for anyone who may have been on board.

The Korea Coast Guard Station Incheon received a report from the Navy’s Second Fleet at around 6:15 a.m. that a vessel was sinking about 6.4 kilometers (3.98 miles) east of Yeonpyeong Island.

The Coast Guard and Navy dispatched two patrol vessels and four naval ships to the area.

They also asked nearby vessels to assist in the search through the navigational telex — an international medium-frequency direct-printing service — and the regional Gyeongin Coastal Vessel Traffic Service and notified Chinese authorities of the incident.

The Coast Guard searched the vessel and surrounding waters using thermal imaging cameras and other equipment but has found no survivors or bodies so far.

It has also not detected any marine pollution from the incident.

The vessel, believed to be a Chinese wooden fishing boat measuring 15 meters (49.2 feet) long and 3 meters wide, is mostly submerged, with only part of the hull remaining above the surface.

“We widened the search [area] at 11:30 a.m.,” a Coast Guard official said. “We also plan to determine whether the vessel could drift during high tide.”

BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]