中國網站品牌欄目（頻道）
A Republic of Korea (ROK) fishing boat sank in the Antarctic Ocean's frigid waters on Monday, with 22 sailors feared dead in the open sea where vessels trawl for deepwater fish, officials said.
Twenty survivors were rescued shortly after the 614-ton vessel went down some 2,250 km south of New Zealand about halfway to Antarctica, the ROK's Foreign Ministry and coast guard said.
Anyone who fell into such waters would typically be dead in 10 minutes without special suits or lifejackets, though nearby fishing boats launched a frantic search in hopes that some may have made it into a life raft, New Zealand's rescue coordination center said.
"We were fortunate that there were a number of vessels in the general area (where the boat sank), so they were able to provide assistance," said Ross Henderson, a spokesman for the center. Two New Zealand fishing boats were released from the effort but three ROK vessels searched on, he added.
Rescuers considered calling in aircraft from either New Zealand or from the United States Antarctic research station on McMurdo Sound, but Henderson said the plan was abandoned because neither plane could reach the remote area in time to find survivors.
The ROK-owned and operated No 1 In Sung sank about 1,850 km north of Antarctica - a little more than halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica.
Many fishing vessels ply the remote seas to haul in deepwater fish such as the Patagonian toothfish, also known as Chilean sea bass, to sell to restaurants around the world. With world consumption of seafood increasing, commercial fleets have begun to operate further offshore to meet demand.
The ROK boat had 42 people on board when it sunk: eight ROK nationals, eight Chinese, 11 Indonesians, 11 Vietnamese, three Filipinos and one Russian, The ROK's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The confirmed dead included two Indonesians, two South Koreans and one Vietnamese, a ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of office rules.
The Chinese Embassy in Seoul said four Chinese sailors were missing, while four others were rescued, China's Xinhua News Agency reported.
It remains unclear why the vessel sank in light winds and a relatively mild one-meter swell.
（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）
Todd Balazovic is a reporter for the Metro Section of China Daily. Born in Mineapolis Minnesota in the US, he graduated from Central Michigan University and has worked for the China Daily for one year.
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