Russia thanks South Korea’s coast guard for saving Russian sailors
SEOUL, April 25. /TASS/. Russia has thanked South Korea’s coast guard for saving a crew of Russian mariners from their burning vessel, the Kaltan, the South Korean agency said on Tuesday.
"The Russian side has always considered the Korean coast guard as a reliable partner that is ready to help in a difficult and critical situation. Once again, we express our sincere gratitude for rescuing our Russian sailors, for heroism and human qualities demonstrated during the rescue efforts," Vice Admiral Roman Tolok, chief of the coast guard department of the Russian Federal Security Service’s (FSB) Border Service, said in a letter to the South Korean side. He also thanked South Korea’s authorities for saving the ship.
Russian Ambassador to Seoul Andrey Kulik also thanked the South Korean rescuers. "Once again, we would like to express our sincere thanks for saving [the group of] Russian sailors. We hope to continue our successful cooperation in ensuring security at sea," the ambassador said in a letter cited by the Korean coast guard.
Kim Jong-Uk, commissioner general of the Korean coast guard, vowed that coast guard officers will continue to spare no effort to rescue any ships in distress in South Korean waters, regardless of which country’s flag they fly.
A fire broke out on board the Kaltan in the Sea of Japan some 20 nautical miles off of the South Korean port of Busan in the morning of April 21. The ship was moved to the coast by tug where the fire was extinguished. Twenty-one out of the ship’s crew of 25 were rescued. Four bodies were found aboard after the fire was extinguished.
