South Korean ferry carrying 267 people stranded

Some five passengers reportedly suffered injuries from the impact after the vessel ran aground on a small rocky island near Jindo.

Rescue operations were underway on Wednesday after a South Korean passenger ferry carrying 267 people ran aground.

The 26,000-tonne vessel was traveling from Jeju Island to the Mokpo port when it hit a small rocky island in the southwest of the country near Jindo Island.

Among those on board were 246 passengers and 21 crew members, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Some five passengers reportedly suffered injuries from the impact of the grounding.

A hole was found in the ship, but no flooding had been detected, Yonhap cited the coast guard as saying.

The coast guard said that authorities were deploying all available resources in the rescue efforts.

Video footage showed passengers wearing life vests waiting to board rescue boats.

President Lee calls for swift rescue

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered swift rescue operations to prevent casualties and for authorities to provide real-time updates to the public on the state of rescue efforts.

Lee was conducting a state visit to the United Arab Emirates for talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Jeju is located some 80 kilometers (nearly 50 miles) south of the Korean Peninsula, while the smaller Jindo island is connected to the mainland by bridge.

The island in the Korean Strait is a top holiday destination for South Koreans. It is home to the Hallasan volcano and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The site of the Wednesday grounding is near the area where the Sewol ferry sank in 2014, an accident that killed over 300 people.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn