Seoul, Mar 14 : Three sailors were confirmed dead, and one other remained missing, as a fishing boat sank off South Korea’s southern coast, Yonhap news agency said Thursday.

The 139-ton trawler with 11 crew members on board, including four South Koreans, six Indonesians and one Vietnamese, sank in waters off an island in Tongyeong, about 330 km south of the capital Seoul.

A distress call was sent to the coast guard at around 4:15 a.m. local time (1915 GMT Wednesday).

Ten crew members were rescued by the coast guard and nearby boats, but three South Koreans, including a captain, were taken to a hospital unconscious before being confirmed dead.

One South Korean sailor remained unaccounted for.

Search operations had been underway, mobilizing 16 patrol boats, two navy vessels and three aircraft.

UNI