At least 8 dead after large wave hits South Korea

CNN

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A sudden high wave crashed into a bulwark near a western coastal beach, leaving at least eight people dead and 12 others injured Sunday, the South Korean Coast Guard said.

The large wave -- believed to be as high as 16 feet -- abruptly jumped the bulwark near a western coastal beach about 120 miles south of Seoul, said Lee Won-il, a local Coast Guard officer.

Among the dead were two children -- a 9-year-old and a 5-year-old, he said.

Lee said about 15 other people were believed missing and the Coast Guard deployed seven boats and a helicopter to rescue them. He said most of the victims were tourists or people fishing there.

The wave was believed to have been caused by regular tidal activity in the Yellow Sea but its exact cause was not known, Lee said.