Two Chinese fishing boats capsized Tuesday in waters about 1.8 kilometers from the port of Hwasun in Jeju’s Seogwipo due to gale-force winds and high waves caused by Typhoon Bolaven, South Korea’s official news agency Yonhap quoted coast guard officials as saying.
The accident which occurred around 2:40 a.m. local time left 31 Chinese fishermen missing, three others were rescued, the officials said.
Yonhap report said a total of 34 crew members were aboard the two vessels, with 17 on each when the boats capsized.
Two crew members reported the accident to South Korean authorities after coming ashore and they were taken to a hospital for treatment as one of them sustained serious injuries and the other complained of difficulty breathing.
A third crew member was rescued later, but the 31 others are unaccounted for, officials said.
The coast guard notified the Chinese consul stationed on Jeju of the accident, they said.
Xinhua