A collision with a three-thousand-ton cargo ship has been confirmed as the cause of a fishing boat accident Friday which killed three people and has left two others missing.

According to the Korea Coast Guard, the cargo ship’s captain and several others testified that their vessel hit the nine-point-seven-ton boat. 

The ship has been confirmed to have reported the accident and also joined the coast guard's rescue operations. 

The fishing boat was found overturned in waters about 80 kilometers south of Yokji Island, near the city of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province at around 5 a.m.

Of the 14 aboard the fishing boat, three died and the government has issued an emergency order to make all-out efforts to find the other two missing people. 

Once the Panama-registered cargo ship arrives at Tongyeong Port, authorities plan to question the captain and other crew members.