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Death toll from sunken S. Korean ship rises to 25

December 4, 2014
Family members of the sunken ship's crew are pleading their case to reporters. (Yonhap)

Family members of the sunken ship’s crew are pleading their case to reporters. (Yonhap)

BUSAN (Yonhap) — Rescuers recovered five more bodies from waters near the site of a South Korean fishing boat’s sinking off Russia’s far east coast, raising the death toll to 25 and leaving 28 sailors still missing, the ship’s owner said Friday in Korea.

The 1,753-ton Oryong 501 was carrying 60 crew members when it sank in the western Bering Sea on Monday. Seven crew members have been rescued, with one South Korean sailor dying soon after being lifted from the sea.

The five recovered bodies are those of two Indonesians and three crewmen of unidentified nationalities, Sajo Industries said, adding they were recovered about 28.6 kilometers away from the accident site.

Sajo Industries said search and rescue operations will likely speed up from now on, as strong winds and high waves near the accident zone have subsided.