More than 40 Crew Missing After Cattle Ship Capsizes Off Japan

More than 40 crew members are missing after a ship carrying cattle from New Zealand to China capsized in stormy weather in the East China Sea on Thursday, the Japanese Coast Guard says. One crew member has been rescued from the Gulf Livestock 1 so far. Three ships, four airplanes and two divers are assisting with the search, Reuters reports. The ship’s cargo included nearly 6,000 head of cattle, though it is unclear if they are beef or dairy animals.

The Gulf Livestock 1 departed Napier, New Zealand on August 14, with 5,867 cattle on route to the port of Jintang in Tangshan, China. The trip was expected to take about 17 days, Reuters says. The 450-foot ship was built in 2002. According to data from Chinese customs, the country has imported more than 46,000 head of cattle from New Zealand this year, mostly to stock expanding Chinese dairy farms.

The ship sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan on Wednesday as Typhoon Maysak caused strong seas and heavy winds, Reuters reports. The ship’s 45-year-old chief officer, Sareno Edvarodo, is the only person to be rescued thus far. The bodies of several cattle have been reported as recovered as well. The Japanese coast guard says that the crew of 43 is made up of 39 people from the Philippines, including Edvarodo, two from New Zealand and two from Australia.

Reuters reports that Edvarodo says the ship lost an engine before it was hit by a wave and capsized. He also said that when the ship capsized, the crew was instructed to put on lifejackets. He jumped into the water and said he did not see any other crew members before he was rescued.

The Philippine government is coordinating with the Japanese coastguard in the search. Typhoon Maysak made landfall in South Korea on Thursday.