2 in cardiac arrest, 2 injured after gas leak on Russian fishing boat in Busan

Published Sep 15, 2026 11:36 am KST

Firefighters conduct rescue operations on a Russian fishing boat docked at a port in the southeastern city of Busan, Tuesday, after Freon gas leaked aboard the ship earlier in the day, leaving four Russian crew members injured, with two of them in cardiac arrest. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters

BUSAN — Two Russian crew members were left in cardiac arrest and two others injured Tuesday after Freon gas leaked aboard a Russian fishing boat docked at a port in South Korea's southeastern city of Busan, local authorities said.

Police and firefighting authorities said they received a report of the incident at 8:37 a.m. aboard the 769-ton fishing boat carrying 15 crew members. A total of 40 police and firefighting personnel were deployed to the scene to inspect the vessel and surrounding areas for additional damage and casualties.

Freon gas, widely used as a refrigerant in air conditioners and refrigerators, has a low level of toxicity, but inhaling the gas in confined spaces can lead to asphyxiation.

Authorities said they are investigating the exact cause of the accident.

发布于2026年9月15日上午11:36（韩国标准时间）

周二，在韩国东南部城市釜山的一个港口，一艘俄罗斯渔船发生氟利昂气体泄漏事故，造成船上四名俄罗斯船员受伤，其中两人心脏骤停。消防员正在船上展开救援行动。图片由釜山广域市消防灾害指挥部提供。

釜山——韩国东南部城市釜山港口停泊的一艘俄罗斯渔船发生氟利昂气体泄漏，导致两名俄罗斯船员心脏骤停，另有两人受伤，当地政府表示。

警方和消防部门表示，他们于上午8点37分接到报警，称一艘载有15名船员的769吨渔船发生事故。共派出40名警务和消防人员前往现场，检查船只及周边区域，以确定是否存在其他损失和人员伤亡。

氟利昂气体广泛用作空调和冰箱的制冷剂，其毒性较低，但在密闭空间吸入该气体会导致窒息。

当局表示，他们正在调查事故的确切原因。