Five die, 17 missing as South Korean boat sinks off Antarctica

SEOUL - Five people have died and 17 others are missing after a South Korean vessel carrying 42 people on board sank off Antarctica, a media report said Monday.

A frantic search was on Monday for the missing people in the hope that some may have made it into a life raft, China Daily reported citing officials.

Twenty other people were rescued shortly after the 614-tonne vessel went down some 2,250 km south of New Zealand, the South Korean foreign ministry and coast guard said.

Fishing boats from New Zealand and South Korea have joined the search efforts.

The victims would be dead in 10 minutes in the freezing cold water without special suits or lifejackets, New Zealand’s search and rescue centre said.

“We were fortunate that there were a number of vessels in the area, so they were able to provide assistance,” said Ross Henderson, a spokesman for the centre. “Obviously, now, we’re trying to determine the status of those 17 missing as quickly as possible.”

South Korean coast guard officer Ji Kwan-tae said it was difficult to expect the missing sailors to be alive because of the ocean’s freezing temperature.

South Korean-owned No.1 In Sung fishing boat had 42 on board: Eight South Koreans, eight Chinese, 11 Indonesians, 11 Vietnamese, three Filipinos and one Russian, its foreign ministry said in a statement.

The dead included two Indonesians, two South Koreans and one Vietnamese, a South Korean official said requesting anonymity.

The Chinese embassy in South Korea said four Chinese sailors were missing while four others were rescued, Xinhua news agency reported.