Cargo ship with 30 Russian crew sinks in Sea of Japan

A cargo ship with 30 Russian crew and six passengers sank in the Sea of Japan on Sunday, and 22 have been rescued, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

The vessel sank during a storm 180 miles (288 kilometers) off Russia's far eastern port of Nakhodka in the morning, the agency quoted Russian Emergencies Ministry spokesman Viktor Beltsov as saying.

Twenty-two crew members and passengers were rescued by boarding four inflatable rafts, Beltsov said.

A nearby ship was trying to pick up the other crew and passengers, but the operation was hampered by bad whether, he added.

The ship, registered in the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was transporting timber from Nakhodka to China, Interfax said.

Souce:Chinaview