Search for sailors lost in freezing sea
Source: Agencies |
December 14, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A SOUTH Korean fishing boat sank in frigid waters off Antarctica, killing five sailors and touching off a frantic search for four Chinese and 13 others who were missing and feared dead yesterday.
Twenty survivors were rescued shortly after the 614-ton vessel went down some 2,250 kilometers south of New Zealand, South Korea's Foreign Ministry and coast guard said.
Any others in the water would be dead in 10 minutes without special suits or life jackets, though nearby fishing boats launched a search in hopes that some may have made it into a life raft, New Zealand's search and rescue center said.
"We were fortunate that there were a number of vessels in the general area, so they were able to provide assistance," said Ross Henderson, a spokesman for the center. "Obviously, now, we're trying to determine the status of those 17 missing as quickly as possible."
Fishing boats from New Zealand and South Korea had joined the search, according to Maritime New Zealand.
As hours passed, South Korean coast guard officer Ji Kwan-tae said it was difficult to expect the missing sailors to be alive because of the ocean's freezing temperature. Ji said he had no information on whether the missing sailors were wearing life jackets or aboard lifeboats.
The South Korean owned and operated No. 1 In Sung fishing boat had 42 people on board when it sank: eight South Koreans, eight Chinese, 11 Indonesians, 11 Vietnamese, three Filipinos and one Russian, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The confirmed dead included two Indonesians, two South Koreans and one Vietnamese, a ministry official said.
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea said four Chinese sailors were missing while four others were rescued, the Xinhua news agency reported.
New Zealand's search and rescue coordination center said the 20 survivors and bodies of the five dead were on board the South Korean fishing vessel No. 707 Hongjin.
Officials hoped missing crew members were able to get into a life raft or had some other survival equipment, Henderson said.
Twenty survivors were rescued shortly after the 614-ton vessel went down some 2,250 kilometers south of New Zealand, South Korea's Foreign Ministry and coast guard said.
Any others in the water would be dead in 10 minutes without special suits or life jackets, though nearby fishing boats launched a search in hopes that some may have made it into a life raft, New Zealand's search and rescue center said.
"We were fortunate that there were a number of vessels in the general area, so they were able to provide assistance," said Ross Henderson, a spokesman for the center. "Obviously, now, we're trying to determine the status of those 17 missing as quickly as possible."
Fishing boats from New Zealand and South Korea had joined the search, according to Maritime New Zealand.
As hours passed, South Korean coast guard officer Ji Kwan-tae said it was difficult to expect the missing sailors to be alive because of the ocean's freezing temperature. Ji said he had no information on whether the missing sailors were wearing life jackets or aboard lifeboats.
The South Korean owned and operated No. 1 In Sung fishing boat had 42 people on board when it sank: eight South Koreans, eight Chinese, 11 Indonesians, 11 Vietnamese, three Filipinos and one Russian, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The confirmed dead included two Indonesians, two South Koreans and one Vietnamese, a ministry official said.
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea said four Chinese sailors were missing while four others were rescued, the Xinhua news agency reported.
New Zealand's search and rescue coordination center said the 20 survivors and bodies of the five dead were on board the South Korean fishing vessel No. 707 Hongjin.
Officials hoped missing crew members were able to get into a life raft or had some other survival equipment, Henderson said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
