Seventeen of the 18 Vietnamese crew of a cargo ship that lost contact with authorities in the Sea of Japan have been rescued by South Korean maritime officials. One crew member reportedly fell overboard and is missing.
Japan Coast Guard officials say the Panamanian-registered ship was about 380 kilometers northwest of Okinoshima Island when it issued a distress signal on Wednesday afternoon. The ship was heading for Kinuura Port in central Japan from Nakhodka Port in Russia.
A ship navigating in the area found 17 crew members in a lifeboat. South Korean maritime authorities rescued them on Thursday morning.
None of them reportedly are in life-threatening condition.
The cargo ship appears to have sunk.
The Japan Coast Guard plans to send two boats to the area to search for the missing crew member.
