13 dead, 2 missing in boat accident in South Korea

Death toll from a boat accident which occurred Sunday off the coast of the South Korean city of Incheon has risen to 13, South Korean Coast Guard said.

Two others were still missing as of 1:00 p.m. (0400 GMT), it added.

The Coast Guard had earlier said seven people were dead after a South Korean chartered fishing vessel collided with a tanker and capsized, adding two people went missing.

Local media reported the 9.77-ton chartered fishing boat, with two crew members and 20 passengers on board, collided with the 336-ton tanker in the waters near Yeongheung Island, west of Seoul, at around 6:12 a.m. (2112 GMT Saturday) on Sunday.

South Korean authorities have mobilized four helicopters and 14 boats for the rescue operation.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)