'Seven people are killed in a fishing boat collision' warrant for arrest of sand carrier navigator

The Pohang Maritime Police Station applied for an arrest warrant for a 60-year-old sand carrier sailor A on charges of overturning a fishing boat that killed seven people on the 9th.

Mr. A is accused of operating a 456-ton sand carrier early the morning of the 9th, and neglecting to look forward using radar and other navigation equipment, and hitting a fishing boat, killing seven sailors.

The Coast Guard confirmed the navigation through an automatic ship identification device and arrested Mr. A yesterday morning after securing a statement that he was careless in looking ahead while operating alone in the steering room.

The Coast Guard began towing the overturned fishing boat to Gampo Port in Gyeongju at 2 p.m. yesterday, but the tug was stopped and the fishing boat sank at around 7 p.m. when the connection line was cut off.

The Coast Guard judged that the water depth at the location where the line was cut off was about 1,000m, and it would be difficult to tow if the sinking was confirmed.

Earlier, at around 5:40 a.m. on the 9th, a 29-ton fishing boat and a 456-ton sand carrier collided off the coast of Gampo Port in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, killing seven people and missing one.