Thirteen crew rescued after ship sinks off Japan, search on for 9 missing

Reuters:

TOKYO, Jan 25 – Thirteen crew members were rescued on Wednesday from a cargo ship that sank off southwestern Japan during fierce winter winds, with planes and ships, including private vessels, searching for the remaining nine.

The vessel, the 6,651-tonne Hong Kong-registered “Jintian”, issued a distress call late on Tuesday, the Japan Coast Guard said.

Media reported a person on the ship said it was listing and taking on water, and later reports said the 22 crew members – all Chinese or Myanmar nationals – had transferred to lifeboats.

There was no immediate word on what caused the vessel, which was carrying lumber, to capsize. A Coast Guard spokesperson said winds were strong at the time the distress signal was received at around 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard immediately sought assistance from patrol ships and aircraft in the vicinity, the west of Nagasaki city, top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said.

The ship sank at 2:46 a.m. (17:46 GMT on Tuesday), he added, quoting other vessels in the area.