Vladivostok Novosti Company
November 19, 2007

35 rescued from sunken ship

The Vladivostok News

Thirty five crewmembers and passengers were saved from the bulk carrier Kastor-1 which sank in stormy waters of the Sea of Japan on Sunday, while rescue operation for one missing person still continues, emergency officials reported.

The timber carrying vessel, which was traveling from Primorye’s town of Nakhodka to China with 30 crew members and six passengers on board, all Russians, was caught in the storm and sank 180 miles south of Nakhodka Sunday evening, a statement from the Far Eastern Department for Emergency Situations said.

The crew and passengers escaped the sinking vessel on four life rafts and were later found and taken aboard the rescue ships.

As of Monday, 13 rescued men have been taken by the ship Cape Spear to Primorye’s port of Vostochny, their conditions are reported as satisfactory, a press statement of Vostochnaya Stevedor Company reported. Another 22 saved people are expected to be brought to the ports of Nakhodka and Vostochny on board of two ships, the statement said.

The search for the missing person is being performed by three Russian vessels and one foreign ship as well as aircraft of Primorye’s Department for Emergency Situations. Another two rescue ships, from Japan and South Korea, are heading to the site to join the searching operation.

According to preliminary information, the Kastor-1 went down during a sea storm after the cargo displaced and the ship took a critical heel. Primorye’s transport Prosecutor’s Office is holding a preliminary inspection into the case.
Other materials of this Issue:
Trains to reach new rail territories
Sakhalin region boosts turnover
Polls reveal predictable election results
Primorye stumbles over unemployment
Khabarovsk residents banned to flee before elections
Finland, Primorye seek techno-industrial ties
Traffic murder case to be appealed again
German children draw attention to Amur leopard
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