More than 160 people died or went missing in maritime accidents in South Korea last year, government data showed.

In 2024, 3,255 maritime accidents occurred in the country, up 5.3 percent from 2023, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

In the accidents, a total of 164 people were killed or went missing, up 74.5 percent from the corresponding tally for 2023.

In detail, there were 706 major accidents, such as collision, capsizing and sinking, with collisions between boats accounting for 34.4 percent of the major cases, followed by safety accidents at 26.2 percent, fires and explosions 19.8 percent, capsizings at 13.5 percent, and sinkings at 6.2 percent. (Yonhap)