Dozens of Indonesian Crew Among Victims in South Korean Shipwreck

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday, November 8, 2024, that 11 Indonesian crew members were involved in a tragic shipwreck incident in South Korea. The incident occurred around 4:33 a.m. local time on the same day.

The ill-fated vessel, the 129-ton sardine fishing ship Geumseongsusan 135, sank approximately 24 kilometers northwest of Biyangdo Islet, Jeju Island, South Korea. The ship was carrying a total of 27 crew members, including 16 South Korean citizens and 11 Indonesian nationals.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a written statement that the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul would immediately coordinate with various authorities, including the Korean Coast Guard (KCG), the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the South Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Jeju Disaster and Safety Countermeasure, as well as relevant companies and ship agents.

Initial reports from the KCG suggest that the ship sank while transferring fish to a transport vessel. All crew members were reportedly working on the ship’s deck at the time of the incident. As of the release of this news, 12 crew members, including 10 South Koreans and 2 Indonesians, remain missing. Meanwhile, 15 crew members have been rescued, but 2 South Korean crew members were tragically found deceased.

Four South Korean citizens and nine Indonesian crew members have been safely evacuated to the Seobu Public Health Center in Jeju for further medical attention. The two missing Indonesian crew members have been identified as YM and SJU.

South Korean authorities are conducting an intensive 24-hour search and rescue operation. The Acting Charge d’affaires of the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul is scheduled to meet with the surviving Indonesians in Jeju Island tonight.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been informed of the incident, has instructed relevant institutions, including the KCG and the defense and maritime ministries, to mobilize all available resources and personnel to locate the missing crew members.

ANTARA

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