Rescue authorities found the dead bodies of four fishermen who went missing from a fire that broke out on a Russian fishing boat in waters off the southeastern city of Ulsan in the early hours of Friday. 

According to the Ulsan Coast Guard and fire department, the bodies were found inside the boat after it was towed to a pier at half past noon. The Coast Guard transported the bodies to a hospital and will decide whether an autopsy should be performed after consulting with the Russian embassy.

The fire was completely extinguished at around 3:40 p.m., nearly 15 hours after it started. The Coast Guard battled the flames first on sea but gusty winds and high waves forced them to move the boat to the pier and carry on the fire fighting and search operations there.

The fire broke out on board the 769-ton vessel at around 12:43 a.m. in waters some 52 kilometers southeast of Ulsan as it was headed to Russia after departing from Busan carrying some one hundred tons of seafood. 

Twenty-one of the 25 crew members, who were all Russian, managed to escape.