Rescue Ops Underway for 267 on Grounded Ferry

A South Korean passenger ferry carrying 267 passengers and crew got stranded on Wednesday after running aground off the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsula and a rescue operation was underway to bring them to land, the coast guard said.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who is currently travelling in the Middle East, ordered a swift rescue of all on board to prevent casualties and 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 coast guard said in a statement.

The coast guard believed there were no casualties so far from the incident and the boat was not taking on water, it said.

The 26,000-tonne ferry was travelling from Jeju Island to Mokpo, according to the coast guard.

A coast guard official said the ferry had struck a rocky island near Jindo.

Video footage showed passengers wearing life vests awaiting transfer to rescue boats, which were approaching the ferry. The vessel's bow appeared stuck on the edge of a small island, but it appeared to be upright and the passengers calm.

Weather conditions at the scene were reported to be fair with light wind.

The area is near the site of the sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014 that killed more than 300 people, mostly school children heading for a school trip.

(Reuters)