Twelve Chinese crew members are still missing two days after a
Panama-registered cargo ship with 22 Chinese on board sank near
Guam, the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center (CMSRC) said on
Friday.
Ten crew members, including the captain Liu Jianzhong, were
rescued on Wednesday, the day after the ship, Tai Tong 7, sank more
than 600 km northwest of Guam due to storms brought by Typhoon
Man-yi.
"Rescue efforts have continued two days after the incident but a
dozen crew members are still missing," said a statement from the
Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles.
The Chinese-flagged bulk log carrier, owned by Fuzhou Haijing
Shipping, was en route from Papua New Guinea to China when the
cargo began shifting as the vessel encountered 70 mph winds and
24-foot waves, according to survivors.
Passing vessels, such as "Horizon Falcon" and "Ikan Belis", were
directed to the accident site, and a fixed-wing aircraft from the
US Coast Guard joined the rescue, said the CMSRC.
The sinking ship had kept in touch with the Coast Guard after
being notified by the latter about the incident. Another two
fixed-wing aircraft arrived at the scene on Friday morning to
search for the remaining crew members, according to the CMSRC.
Eight of the survivors are being taken to Guam, a US territory
5,950 km southwest of Hawaii, and the other two have stayed on
board the US-flagged "Horizon Falcon" to help with the rescue of
the remaining 12.
Extreme winds and torrential rain have continued to hit the area
on Thursday as Man-yi continued to move northeastward, threatening
Japan and the Ryukyu Islands, according to weather forecasts.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan have expressed great concern for
the crew members and have asked relevant departments to coordinate
efforts to rescue them.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially invited
the US to join the rescue, and directed Chinese embassy and
consulates in the US to respond "properly" to the emergency.
The eight survivors are expected to arrive at Guam early on
Saturday morning.
(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2007)