A 53-year-old captain and a crew member died when their tugboat sank near South Korea’s Busan Port, Yonhap News Agency reports.
The accident happened around 12:30 pm local time yesterday, while the tugboat 97 Samyong was towing a vessel past Dudo Island.
One of the towing cables snapped and recoiled, striking one side of the tug boat.
The force of the strike reportedly hurled the captain, identified only by his family name Oh, and the crewman overboard.
They were found unconscious in the water and rushed to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead.
The port authority has established a security zone around the sunken vessel to prevent any marine pollution and secondary accidents.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.
World Maritime News Staff