Forensic experts board a Chinese fishing boat docked in a coastguard base in Mokpo.[Yonhap News Photo]
Chinese fishermen were put under questioning Friday to determine the exact cause of this week's fire that broke out in their boat during a raid by South Korean coastguard commandoes and killed three colleagues.
The fire started Thursday during a risky operation by a dozen officers who leapt into the boat manned by 17 fishermen and hurled three stun grenades through the broken window of the locked steering house and engine room, according to a coastguard report.
Two grenades exploded inside and one did not go off only to pull out 14 fishermen, including the 41-year-old captain, but a flame disturbed the rescue operation, leading to the death of three others.
The boat and its crew were sent to a coastguard base in the southeastern port city of Mokpo for an investigation. Along with an autopsy, forensic experts checked the boat to see why it suddenly caught fire.
The Chinese captain told reporters in Mokpo that Chinese officials should investigate the fatal coastguard operation, according to Yonhap News. "I want to be investigated by the Chinese government," he was quoted as saying.
Coastguard authorities said the drift-net fishing boat was operating illegally near Hong Island within South Korea's exclusive economic zone and ran away with the officers on board, ignoring repeated orders to stop.
A flash-bang grenade is a non-lethal explosive device designed to produce a blinding flash of light and an intensely loud "bang" without causing permanent injury. The heat created, however, can ignite flammable materials such as fuel. The fire that occurred during the Iranian Embassy siege in London was caused by stun grenades.
For years, South Korea has captured and fined thousands of Chinese boats for illegal fishing.
China has urged its fishermen to stop illegal fishing in waters of neighboring countries, but they continue to poach as fish stocks at home were depleted. Illegal fishing has also caused diplomatic and security concerns along the Yellow Sea border between the two Koreas.
Coastguard operations have become risky as Chinese fishermen often used steel pipes, knives and other weapons, triggering violent clashes that killed one officer and two fishermen. Coastguard commandoes are armed with clubs, stun grenades, baton guns and pistols.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
