Search under way for S. Korean tourist missing after fall from Mediterranean Sea cruise ship

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- Search operations are under way to find a South Korean tourist who fell from a cruise ship into the Mediterranean Sea last week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.

The 63-year-old woman, whose name was withheld, fell off the Norwegian Epic cruise ship at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday (local time) when the vessel was sailing in waters near the Spanish island of Menorca, the ministry said. She was traveling with her husband.

"The local (Spanish) rescue authorities are conducting the search for the missing, but (she) remains unaccounted for. ... They are investigating the exact cause of the accident," the ministry said in a text message sent to reporters.

The consulate general in Barcelona has sent employees to the scene of the accident and called for a prompt and continued search for the woman. The staff also checked footage from the ship's security camera and the woman's mobile phone to find out how she fell into the sea.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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