In brief
A charter fishing boat 0.9 nautical miles south of Yeongheung Island caught fire at 6:51 a.m. on the Yellow Sea. All 22 aboard were rescued; the skipper and another crew member and two Coast Guard officers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Investigators are examining witnesses' accounts that sparks and smoke leaked from the passenger cabin.
At 6:51 a.m. yesterday, a charter fishing boat 0.9 nautical miles south of Yeongheung Island on the Yellow Sea burst into flames, according to a statement from the South Korean Coast Guard.
The 9.77‑ton vessel was carrying 22 fishermen when the fire broke out in its passenger cabin, a point that witnesses say sparked the blaze.
The Coast Guard quickly responded to a distress call, dispatched patrol and rescue boats, and managed to extinguish the flames before all aboard could be taken aboard the rescue vessels.
Every one of the 22 crew members was accounted for and safely removed from the burning boat; the skipper and one other fisherman were transported to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
In addition, two officers from the Coast Guard who were on the scene also suffered smoke inhalation and are scheduled to receive medical care.
Officials said the Coast Guard will investigate the exact cause of the fire and determine the extent of the damage once the survivors and crew can provide witness statements.
