Russian emergency service workers have confirmed the 14-strong crew of a cargo ship that ran aground in the Sea of Japan has been successfully evacuated after a rescue operation was conducted. The team landed on the deck of the Panama-flagged vessel from a Mi-8 helicopter and had rescued all of the sailors.
“The operation took place in difficult weather with winds of 15 metres per second and waves up to three metres high,” officials said.
As specified, the ‘Rise Shine’ cargo ship ran aground in the waters of the Russian Far East coast, near the port city of Nakhodka. The distress signal onboard the container ship was received by the rescue services the day before at 6.02 am (11.02 pm Moscow time). According to the country’s emergency officials, the ship had been severely damaged after straying into shallower waters.
“The engine room is flooded and there is a crack in the hull, but the fuel tanks are intact,” a spokesperson said.
The sailors of the ship have been successfully rescued. According to the Head of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Vladivostok, Nikolai Pirozhkov, all 14 crew of the vessel are Chinese citizens, as Izvestia reported. It is noted that the Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor’s Office has already launched an investigation into the incident.
Ru-Main, 09.11.2021
Source: RT
