South Korea ferry runs aground, 267 passengers rescued

A passenger ferry ran aground on an uninhabited island off South Korea's southwestern coast and all 267 passengers and crew were safely brought to shore, the Ministry of Safety said Thursday.

The passenger vessel was travelling from Jeju Island to the port city of Mokpo when it ran aground after 8:00 pm (1100 GMT) on Wednesday, authorities said.

No serious injuries were reported, and 246 passengers were safely moved to a nearby port on rescue ships, the Ministry of Safety said in a statement. 

According to the authorities, 21 crew members remained on the vessel, which was later brought to Mokpo's port around 5:44 am.

Among the passengers, 27 people were taken to a hospital due to light injuries, including headaches and back pain. 

Authorities suspect human error may be to blame for the incident.

Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Yong-jin told reporters that a preliminary assessment suggested "errors" by the crew may have caused the accident. An investigation is ongoing.

A photo released by Yonhap news agency showed the bow of the ferry pressed up against the island's tree-covered shore.

Another image showed passengers waiting to be rescued, many of them wearing what appear to be life vests. 

President Lee Jae Myung ordered "swift rescue efforts" and instructed officials to provide real-time updates to the public, his office said.

In 2014, a ferry carrying more than 470 passengers -- mostly pupils on a school trip -- capsized off the southwestern coast, killing 304 people in South Korea's worst maritime disaster. 

The salvaged wreck of the Sewol ferry was brought to Mokpo nearly three years later.