Seoul | A fishing boat capsized after colliding with a sand barge in waters off South Korea's southeastern coast early Monday, leaving seven crew members dead and one missing, according to local coast guard and fire departments.

The 29-tonne fishing boat, which had eight passengers, three South Koreans and five Indonesian nationals, capsized after colliding with a 456-tonne barge in waters near the city of Gyeongju, according to Kim Eul-dong, an official at the Pohang coast guard.

Dozens of emergency workers, along with 15 coast guard vessels and six helicopters, were mobilised to search for the missing passenger, who was Indonesian. None of the passengers from the barge were hurt.