The Coast Guard is conducting rescue operations at a fishing boat that sunk in the sea in near Gunsan at about 7:36 a.m. on Sept. 16. Yonhap

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SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - Three fishermen were killed and five were rescued in a fishing boat accident near the southwestern port city of Gunsan, the Gunsan Coast Guard said Monday.

According to the Gunsan Coast Guard, the crew members of the 35-ton-class 77 Daeryeong -- the captain (71), chief engineer (53), and an Indonesian crew in his 40s, were pronounced dead after being transferred to a nearby hospital.

The remaining five foreign crew members (three from Viet Nam, two from Indonesia) are reported to be in stable condition.

At around 7:36 a.m., the Coast Guard received a report that the fishing boat had capsized 7.5 kilometers south of Gunsan.

The Coast Guard dispatched helicopters and patrol boats, rescuing all eight crew members who had taken refuge in the cabin.

Based on eyewitness accounts that an oil tanker (1,618-ton-class) had passed near the fishing boat at the time of the accident, the Coast Guard is investigating the possibility of a collision between the vessels.

A Gunsan Coast Guard official said, "The exact identity of the deceased foreign crew member has not yet been confirmed," and added, "After treating the injured, we will investigate the exact cause of the accident, leaving all possibilities open."
Park Sae-jin Reporter swatchsjp@ajunews.com

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