Cargo ship wreck in Japan: 18 sailors missing, 4 rescued

Its coast guard Japanwith her help too South Koreacontinues the operation to find 18 crew members of the truck ship Jintian, displacement 6,651 tons, capsized while sailing off Nagasaki, in the southwestern part of the Japanese archipelago, in the East China Sea.

“At 07:14 (local time; 00:14 Greek time), four Chinese nationals were rescued, but we are still looking for the remaining 18 crew members” of the truck, a spokeswoman for the Japanese port authority told AFP.

“An aircraft is already in the area and two ships are heading” to the sea area where the Jintian sank, the spokeswoman added.

According to media reports, the four rescued crew members were spotted by a passing merchant vessel while in a lifeboat. The Japanese Coast Guard was unable to confirm or deny reports that other crew members boarded lifeboats.

The Hong Kong-registered truck, with a crew of 22, 14 Chinese nationals and 8 Myanmar nationals, issued an SOS at 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday (16:15 Greek time), according to the Japanese Coast Guard.

It was located in an inaccessible spot, about 100 kilometers west of the Danjo Islands, a remote and uninhabited area.

The wreck was recorded as Japan is hit by a cold wave, with daytime temperatures hovering not far above freezing, around 3°C.

It is not known what caused the wreck of the truck, which was carrying timber. According to the Coast Guard, strong winds were blowing in the area when the Jintian issued a distress signal.