Six missing after fishing boat catches fire in Korea

A search was under way for six people missing after a fishing boat caught fire in waters off Korea's southwestern coast on Thursday, the Coast Guard said. Five other people were rescued.

The 34-tonne fishing vessel caught fire in waters near Buan, 204 kilometres southwest of Seoul, at 8:39 a.m. according to South Korean media agency Yonhap News Agency, citing Coast Guard officials.

The Coast Guard mobilised 10 ships to the scene and rescued five of the crew members with the help of nearby fishing boats.

Authorities were also searching to find the remaining six missing but faced difficulty in the rescue work due to a wind wave advisory issued in the area.

Firefighter authorities were also dispatched to the scene to extinguish the fire.