Coastguards conduct a rescue operation from a 35-ton fishing vessel that capsized in waters near Gunsan, a southwestern port city in North Jeolla Province, in this Sept. 16 photo provided by the Korea Coast Guard. Yonhap

A 35-ton fishing vessel capsized off the coast near Gunsan, a southwestern port city in North Jeolla Province, resulting in the deaths of three people onboard, the Korea Coast Guard said Monday.

The Coast Guard successfully recovered all eight people from the capsized vessel. However, three of them — the Korean captain, and chief engineer, and an Indonesian sailor — were later pronounced dead after being transferred to a hospital.

The remaining five survivors — three Vietnamese and two Indonesian crew members — were reported to be safe.

The Coast Guard received a report of the incident at 7:36 a.m. and quickly launched a rescue operation. The authorities are investigating the possibility of a collision, as witnesses reported that a 1,618-ton petroleum product carrier had passed by the vessel.

"We have not yet been able to identify the deceased foreign sailor," a Coast Guard official said, adding they plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the accident once the injured have recovered. (Yonhap)