Six Chinese nationals among eight dead in ship sinking off Japan and South Korea

A Chinese official said Thursday that eight people have died in the sinking of a cargo ship in waters between Japan and South Korea.

Lyu Guijun, the consul general in the western Japanese city of Fukuoka, told state broadcaster CGTN that six of the eight victims were Chinese.

There were 22 crew members — 14 from China and eight from Myanmar — on the 6,551-ton Jin Tian. It sank early Wednesday about 160 kilometres (100 miles) southwest of Nagasaki, Japan.

Five of the crew have been rescued, including four Chinese, Lyu said. Another eight or nine remain missing, according to varying reports.

Maritime transport websites said the vessel left Malaysia's Port Klang on Dec. 3 and was headed for South Korea's Incheon port. The Hong Kong-registered ship was carrying lumber.

(AP)