Tugboat capsizes off Busan, one dead and six missing

A tugboat capsized in waters off the southeastern city of Busan on Wednesday, leaving one crew member dead and six others missing, the Coast Guard said.

The 286-ton vessel, carrying six South Korean and two Indonesian crew members, overturned in the waters at 1:29 p.m. after setting off from Busan Port in the morning to tow a commercial ship, according to the Coast Guard.

An Indonesian crew member in his 50s was rescued by the 66,332-ton Liberia-flagged commercial vessel, while the Coast Guard rescued a South Korean crew member in his 50s, who was found unconscious.

Coast Guard officials rushed the South Korean crew member to a hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

The Coast Guard said it dispatched 13 vessels for the search efforts for the missing, while the Navy deployed the ROKS Gwangyang salvage and rescue ship and other vessels and aircraft for the operation.

The Coast Guard said search efforts face difficulties due to waves reaching up to 1.5 meters in height and wind speeds of up to 6 meters per second.

The tugboat completely sank in the waters at 3:27 p.m., about two hours after capsizing, according to the Coast Guard.

President Lee Jae Myung has instructed authorities to mobilize all available resources for the search and rescue efforts.