Commander Armand Balilo, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard, adds the Emerald Star departed from Hongkong and was on its way to Indonesia when it sank.
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED – Five crew members remain missing on Friday, 2017 October 13, after their cargo ship sank in the Pacific off the Philippines as a typhoon churned in the region, Japan's coastguard said.
The 33,205-ton Emerald Star with 26 Indian nationals on board sent a distress signal early Friday as the Hong Kong-registered vessel was sailing some 280 kilometers (174 miles) east of the northern tip of the Philippines, said a statement from the Japanese coastguard, which received the distress signal.
Commander Armand Balilo, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard, added the Emerald Star departed from Hongkong and was on its way to Indonesia when it sank.
The latest report from the Japanese Coast Guard said 11 crew were successfully rescued by the Densa Cobra, and 5 by the SM Samarinda. Another foreign vessel, the Hongkong-registered Papuan Chief, is in the area to help with the search.