Fishing boat catches fire off west coast, all 22 rescued

A fishing vessel caught fire off the coast of the West Sea island of Yeongheung on Saturday, and all 22 people on board were successfully rescued, officials confirmed. The incident occurred at 6:51 a.m., when the fire ignited in waters 0.9 nautical miles south of the island. The Coast Guard received a distress signal from the distressed vessel and promptly dispatched patrol and rescue boats to the scene. They swiftly extinguished the blaze and managed to evacuate everyone on the boat.

Among those rescued were the boat's captain and another crew member, who were both taken to a hospital due to inhaling smoke. Two Coast Guard officers also inhaled smoke while responding to the emergency and have scheduled medical check-ups. The Coast Guard is set to investigate the origin of the fire and assess the damage inflicted on the vessel, taking into account witness accounts indicating that sparks and smoke originated from the passenger cabin.