NOS News•yesterday, 02:28•Amended yesterday, 07:52
A cargo ship sank in the East China Sea near Japan last night. There were 22 people on board, 14 of whom have been rescued so far.
Nine of the persons on board found were not conscious. The condition of the others is unknown. The injured were flown to a hospital in Japan.
The coast guards of Japan and South Korea, along with two other cargo ships, are searching for the remaining crew members. The operation is complicated by the strong wind and the high waves.
The passengers come from China and Myanmar. According to the South Korean coastguard, they were able to get into lifeboats in time. A cargo ship from Liberia and a freight ship from China are also on the search.
Cause not clear
Three hours after the ship issued a distress signal, it sank. It is not yet clear what caused the problem. A spokesman for the Japanese Coast Guard did report that there was strong wind at sea at the time of the report.
The cargo ship was about 126 meters long and sailed under the flag of Hong Kong. It was on its way from Malaysia to South Korea. It had a cargo of lumber on board.