South Korean officials have announced that they have yet to find more than 50 fisherman after a boat sunk in the Bering Sea on Monday, December 1st.
The Bering Sea is located near Russia, and South Korean fisherman go there to fish for pollock. The crew consisted of 35 Indonesians, 13 Filipinos, 11 South Koreans and 1 Russian inspector. Since Monday, seven crew members were rescued and one body was recovered, however the rough water had made further searches difficult to conduct.
The ship was believed to have listed after stormy weather conditions caused seawater to flood it. According to Kim Kang Ho from Sajo Industries, the ship was roughly 36 years old. At this time the death toll is expected to rise since rescuers have only recovered one body and rescued 7 people from about 62 members on board. The water temperatures were 10 degrees Celsius below freezing (14 degrees Fahrenheit) and the waves were more that 4 meters high (13 feet), at the time of the sinking.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong Won has stated via a cabinet meeting that the South Korean government will be working together with Russia to speed up the rescue efforts. The current rescued crew members are in stable condition and doing well. They are expected to return to South Korea once the weather improves.
This is the second South Korean disaster at sea this year, as the nation experienced the sinking of the Sewol Ferry in April, which left more than 300 passengers dead.
Source: Associated Press
