North Korean ship sinks, leaving at least 15 dead: report

Cargo ship suspected of smuggling coal said to have collided with Chinese vessel

20250312N Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, seen on a TV screen in Seoul. North Korea is prohibited from exporting coal under U.N. sanctions. © AP

TETSUYA FUJITA

SEOUL -- A North Korean cargo ship suspected of smuggling coal sank after colliding with a Chinese vessel, killing at least 15 people, South Korea's Yonhap News reported Thursday.

The accident occurred in late February in the Yellow Sea off the coast of China, Yonhap reported, citing a confidential source. It is believed that 15 to 20 North Korean crew members died.

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