SEOUL: Three Chinese fishermen likely died from smoke inhalation after a fire erupted when South Korean coastguard officers threw “flashbang” grenades into their boat, which had been fishing illegally, officials said on Friday.

The latest in a series of violent clashes between South Korea’s coastguard and Chinese fishing boats venturing farther from their increasingly barren home waters occurred on Thursday when a South Korean coastguard vessel tried to stop the Chinese boat from suspected illegal fishing about 70 kilometres from an island off South Korea’s southwestern coast.

The vessel, which carried 17 fishermen, initially resisted and fled before South Korean coastguard officers managed to board the boat and threw flashbang grenades into its locked steering room, the coastguard said in a statement.

Flashbang grenades are non-lethal devices that produce a blinding flash of light and loud sound.

A fire erupted on the boat and three fishermen found lying in the boat’s engine room later died, the coastguard statement said. Coast guard officers said the three likely died after inhaling toxic smoke but that autopsies were planned to find the exact cause of their deaths.

Authorities will also investigate if the flashbang grenades caused the fire. The 14 surviving fishermen were taken to a South Korean port for questioning, according to the coastguard.

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said that China had asked for consultations on the incident and for assistance to the survivors and families of those killed. “We have asked the South Korean side for an urgent dialogue on this matter, and we have urged a fair and thorough investigation to be conducted,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

Earlier, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the deaths, but noted the Chinese boat was fishing illegally and had tried to flee to avoid an inspection.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2016

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