Rescue teams, battling inclement weather, have saved 11 crew from a wrecked Russian cargo ship off South Korea’s coast, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday. With the one recovered dead body, fate of six seamen remains unknown.

A total of 18 crew were aboard the 2,448-ton Sinegorye, which was believed to have sunk while carrying a cargo of timber from Russia’s Far East to China.

Most of the rescued crew were in satisfactory condition and had been taken to South Korean ports. One was in a serious condition, and one remained on a vessel taking part in rescue operations.

Emergency Ministry officials said poor weather had prompted a postponement until Wednesday of plans to send a Russian aircraft to help search the area.

The South Korean coast guard said the Sinegorye sent a mayday call at around noon on Monday about 70 miles off Ullung Island on the east coast and was believed to have sunk. Water had entered its cargo compartment in rough seas.

Two large patrol boats and a search aircraft were dispatched to the area but the ships experienced difficulty reaching the area until well into the night, a South Korean coast guard official said by telephone from the coastal city of Donghae.

“It is too early to talk about the fate of the (other) crew members,” the official said. “Weather conditions remain extremely bad.”

Heavy rain hit South Korea’s northeastern region on Monday.

Popularity: 1% [?]