Evening star., 1953-01-10
249 Koreans Perish
As Coastal Vessel
Sinks Near Pusan
BY the Assoeiatsd Press

PUSAN, Korea, Jan. 10.-A
crowded Korean passenger ship
foundered in mountainous seas
and violent winds last night and
sank with a reported toll Of 249
lives just outside this big South
east Korean port.
The Korean Ministry of
Transportation said today only
seven Of the 256 aboard the 140-
ton Chang Yung Ho were saved
when the coastal vessel went
down. The captain, Ha Yang
Mo was among the seven.
Transportation Minister Kim
Suk Kwang expressed belief that
no Americans were aboard the
ship. which piled daily between
Pusan and YoSu, 100 miles to
the west on Korea's south coast.
The ministry said the pas
sengers were mostly a mixed
group of Korean men and wom-
en-farmers and townsmen-
coming to the Pusan markets
from outlying points to either
buy or sell.
Hit by Tremendous Gust.
The captain was able to pro-
vide only a sketchy account Of
the disaster. He told the min
istry his ship was swung around
violently by a tremendous gust
of wind, that things went black
and the next he knew was when
he regained consciousness in the
Storm-tossed seas. That was
about 10 pm. yesterday.
South Korean navy and po-
lice boats picked up the captain,
four passengers and two crew.
men. They were brought to
Pusan for first aid treatment.
Rescue boats-still hampered
by rough seas-continued a
search today but the ministry
said there was mo hope" for
finding any more survivors.
The Chang Yung Ho sank out
side Pusan harbor, about 10
miles from the mouth of the
Naktong River-and in the same
general area where another Ko-
rean coastal vessel sank nearly a
year ago with a loss of $50 Ko-
reanS.
Another Ship in Trouble.
Even as the news of the sink
ing was announced, the Japanese
Maritime Safety Board tcoast
guard said it had picked up an
SOS from the Korean snip AL
chong near Tsuchima Island in
the Sea of Japan.
The board said the vessel re-
ported it was in trouble and car
ried a crew of 33, but did not
describe the trouble.
The sinking of the Chang
Yung Ho was the latest in a Sc
ries of storm-caused ship acci-
dents and distress calls in the
Pacific during the week.
Little hope was held for eight
crew members listed as missing
in the breakup of the Swedish
tanker Avanti south Of Japan
Wednesday night. Thirty three
crewmen were picked up by three
vessels-a japanese patrol boat.
a British freighter and a Ma
tionalist Chinese ship.
U. S. Transports Collide.
Two American military transn
ports collided last night 5 miles
outside the entrance to Sasebo
harbor, a United States naval
base in Southern Japan. The
Navy said there had been no re-
ports of casualties.
The Navy said the transport
Creighton Victory sideswiped the
transport Jumper Hitch and that
the collision opened 6-foot hole
in the Jumper Hitch's bow. It
said the Creighton Victory-en
route from Seattle to Pusan-
continued on its voyage.
The number of troops aboard
the ships was not disclosed. Both
ships are in the trans-Pacific
operations of the Military Sea
Transport Service.
Earlier in the week several
freighters sent out distress calls
from the central and western
Pacific. but apparently wealth.
cred the storms.