Tugboat capsizes near Busan, leaving one dead and six missing

On Wednesday, a 286-ton tugboat departed from Busan to assist a merchant ship and capsized shortly thereafter, prompting a large rescue effort. Eight crew members were aboard; an Indonesian seafarer was saved by the merchant vessel, and a South Korean crew member was retrieved unconscious by coast guard responders before being taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. President Lee Jae Myung directed authorities to deploy all available resources, and both the coast guard and navy dispatched vessels, aircraft, and other equipment to locate the six remaining crew members who are still missing.

The tugboat finally sank at approximately 3:30 p.m. (0630 GMT), roughly two hours after the incident was reported. Officials have not yet determined the reason for the vessel’s overturning.