A search and rescue operation is underway after a timber train capsized between Japan and South Korea.
Japan and South Korea are searching for 17 crew members from a cargo ship that capsized in rainy weather.
Japanese and South Korean media said five crew members were rescued on Wednesday after the 6,551-ton “Jintian” sank off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan. All were picked up by nearby ships.
‘Jintian’ went on for about four hours after crew members sent a distress call on Tuesday, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo.
The crew said their ship had “tottered and flooded”, the agency said.
Japanese officials say 14 crew members on the Hong Kong-registered ship are Chinese and eight are from Myanmar.
According to South Korean officials, the ship’s captain last spoke to the coast guard on South Korea’s Jeju Island via satellite phone at around 2:41 a.m. local time on Wednesday (17:41 GMT Tuesday), saying that the crew they have left the ship.
The ship was completely submerged when the South Korean coast guard arrived at the site, Yonhap news agency said.
The crew did not find anyone on the three lifeboats and two lifeboats they searched for.
There was no immediate word on what caused the ship, which was carrying timber, to go down.
The incident came as a cold wave hit Japan and South Korea, with snow falling in some areas and daytime temperatures on some islands near the rescue center reaching 3C (37F).
Japan’s coast guard said the wind was strong at the time the distress signal was received.
It said it had sent patrol boats and planes to the area, but their arrival was delayed due to weather.
