Rescued Chinese fishermen to return from S. Korea

SEOUL - A group of fishermen rescued after two Chinese fishing boats capsized off the southern island of Jeju in the wake of Typhoon Bolaven earlier this week is set to return home on Friday, according to Chinese consulate officials in Jeju.

Of 18 crewmen from the wrecked fishing ships, 16 people will leave for Shanghai at 1:30 pm (local time) via China Eastern Airlines flight MU 503. The other two will temporarily stay in South Korea.

They were saved after the two boats ran aground in waters off Jeju early Tuesday as Typhoon Bolaven, the strongest to hit South Korea in almost a decade. Rescuers pulled 12 people to safety, and six swam ashore.

The confirmed death toll from the incident stood at nine as of Friday morning, and six were still missing, spokesman Ko Chang- keon of the Seogwipo Coast Guard in Jeju told Xinhua.

Ko said 10 vessels and two helicopters were taking part in an ongoing search for the missing.