S. Korean passenger ferry with 267 aboard runs aground; no deaths reported
A passenger ferry carrying 267 people ran aground off South Korea's southwestern coast Wednesday, the Coast Guard said, Yonhap reports.
Five passengers sustained minor injuries in the grounding, but no deaths were reported.
The accident occurred at around 8:17 p.m. near Jangsan Island in Sinan County, 366 kilometers south of Seoul.
The 26,546-ton Queen Jenuvia was en route to the port city of Mokpo after departing from the resort island of Jeju, carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members, according to the Coast Guard.
The ferry reportedly grounded on a submerged rock near an uninhabited islet as it approached the waters off Jangsan Island.
A hole was found in the bow of the ship, but no flooding has been detected so far, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard immediately dispatched patrol vessels to the site to ensure passenger safety and is currently transferring those aboard to a nearby pier.
President Lee Jae Myung ordered swift rescue efforts after being briefed on the accident during his visit to the United Arab Emirates.
Lee immediately instructed the relevant authorities to respond swiftly to prevent any loss of life and to release real-time updates on the rescue operations so that the public can be reassured, the presidential office said in a press notice.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported one person is missing as a fire burns 170 buildings in the Japanese city of Oita.
