Indonesia, S. Korea search for missing crew members after ship sinks

JAKARTA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — The Indonesian government is working with South Korean authorities to locate two Indonesian crew members who went missing after their ship sank in waters off Jeju, South Korea, on Friday morning.
The missing Indonesians, identified by the initials YM and SJU, were among the 27 crew members, 16 Koreans and 11 Indonesians, aboard the fishing vessel Geumseong Susan 135, which sank at around 4:33 a.m. local time.
“Initial reports indicate the ship sank during the transfer of the fish catch to a transport vessel, while the entire crew was working on deck at the time,” said Judha Nugraha, director of Indonesian citizen protection and legal affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A total of 12 crew members, 10 Koreans and two Indonesians, are still missing, while 15 others have been found, including two Korean crew members who were reported dead. The survivors have been taken to a health center for medical treatment.
South Korean authorities continue their intensive search efforts, which will last for 72 hours, while the Indonesian embassy in Seoul plans to meet with the Indonesian survivors in Jeju. ■