Crew of Trawler Sunk off Russian Coast Mostly Indonesian: Reports

The 60 crew members of a South Korean trawler that sank off the coast of the Russian Far East on Monday included 35 Indonesians, 13 Filipinos, 11 South Koreans and one Russian citizen.

MOSCOW, December 1 (Sputnik) — The crew of a South Korean trawler that sank off the coast of the Russian Far East on Monday were mainly Indonesian citizens, the Korean Oceans and Fisheries Ministry stated.

The 60 crew members on board included 35 Indonesians, 13 Filipinos, 11 South Koreans and one Russian citizen, the ministry said, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The fishing trawler, Oryong 501, sank earlier today in the Bering Sea near the region of Chukotka, in the Russian Far East. A Russian law enforcement official confirmed to RIA Novosti that at least one body has been recovered, with another seven rescued. The trawler issued no distress signal prior to the disaster.

The Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed its hopes for the timely rescue of the missing crew members, calling on Russia to do all it can, the news agency reported.

Four Russian rescue teams are currently searching for the missing near the shipwreck site.