Seoul: South Korea's coast guard said a rescue operation was underway after a ferry carrying 192 people hit a rock in waters off the country's southwestern coast on Sunday. At least six people sustained minor injuries.
A coast guard official said the prospects of rescuing all those on board were good because the ferry wasn't showing signs of flooding or losing balance despite the crash off islands in Sinan County.
Four coast guard vessels and nearby civilian vessels were approaching the ferry for the rescue operation. All of the 187 passengers and five crew members on the ferry were wearing life vests as they waited for the rescue workers, the official said.
"It seems that the ferry's front grazed the rock after it changed directions to avoid a fishing boat passing by," said the official.
Another coast guard official said the shock from the crash left six people with minor injuries.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules.
The area is not far from where a ferry sank and killed more than 300 people in 2014, triggering a national outpouring of grief and soul-searching over lax safety standards.
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