Ship carrying 6,000 cattle sinks in East China Sea, 42 crew missing

A ship carrying 43 crew and nearly 6,000 cattle from New Zealand to China capsized after losing an engine in stormy weather in the East China Sea, the only crew member rescued so far told Japan’s coastguard yesterday.

The Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan on Wednesday as Typhoon Maysak lashed the area.

Japan’s coastguard rescued one crew member, Sareno Edvarodo, a 45-year-old chief officer from the Philippines, on

Wednesday night while searching for the ship.

According to Edvarodo, the ship lost an engine before it was hit by a wave and capsized, a coastguard spokesperson said.

Pictures from the coastguard showed a person in a life-jacket being hauled from choppy seas in darkness.

Three vessels, five planes and two divers had been deployed to continue the search.

The crew included 39 people from the Philippines, two from New Zealand and two from Australia.

The Philippines government said it was co-ordinating with the Japanese coastguard to search for the missing crew ahead of another typhoon.

Typhoon Haishen is brewing south of Japan and is expected to hit South Korea on Sunday or Monday.

At least one person died in South Korea in the southern city of Busan after Typhoon Maysak made landfall yesterday.

The Gulf Livestock 1, built in 2002, left Napier in New Zealand bound for Jingtang, China.

New Zealand animal rights organisation SAFE said the tragedy demonstrated the risks of the live animal export trade.

“This is a real crisis, and our thoughts are with the families of the 43 crew who are missing with the ship.

“But questions remain, including why this trade is allowed to continue.”

Last year, New Zealand launched a review of its live export trade, worth around NZ$54m (R619m), after thousands of animals being exported from New Zealand and Australia died in transit. —