A South Korean passenger ferry carrying 267 passengers and crew ran aground on Wednesday off the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsula, triggering a rescue operation and stirring memories of a major ferry disaster in 2014.
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President Lee Jae-myung, who is currently travelling in the Middle East, ordered a swift rescue of all on board to prevent casualties and for details of the operation to be made public as they occur, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
Authorities were deploying all possible resources in the rescue operation, the coastguard said in a statement.
It said it believed there were no casualties so far from the incident and the boat was not taking on water.
Rescue boats deployed
The 26,000-tonne ferry, the Queen Jenuvia 2, was travelling from Jeju Island to Mokpo, according to the coastguard. The boat’s Mokpo-based operator, Seaworld Ferry, lists the vessel as having a capacity of 1,010 passengers, as well as multiple lower decks for large vehicles and passenger cars.
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