11 bodies found in Oryong operation

Rescue workers recovered 11 bodies as of Wednesday as search efforts continued for a third day to find missing crewmen from the Oryong 501, a Korean fishing trawler, after it sank on Monday in the Bering Sea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

That brings the death toll to 12.

The bodies found included three Koreans, seven Indonesians and one Filipino, who were among the 60 crew members aboard the 1,753-ton deep-sea fishing vessel operated by Sajo Industries, the ministry said on Wednesday afternoon.

Forty-one crew members remain unaccounted for.

Five ships are continuing their search-and-rescue operations, the ministry said. They will be supported by the U.S. patrol and rescue ship Munro, which is expected to reach the Bering Sea on Thursday. The 36-year-old Oryong 501 sank off the eastern coast of Russia on Monday amid poor weather conditions, and rescue workers have had difficulty in their search for the missing due to rocky waves and fierce winds.

Seven crew members were saved, while one Korean crew member died from hypothermia after being rescued on Monday.

BY SARAH KIM [sarahkim@joongang.co.kr]