Search for Missing Tug Crew

ANCHOR:
Up to 18 Ukrainian crew members of a tug crew were unaccounted for on Sunday. Their boat sank after colliding with a cargo ship off the coast of Hong Kong. Here's more.

STORY:
Hong Kong rescue teams are scouring the sea bed and its surface for the missing after the tug Neftegaz 67 collided with a cargo ship and sank rapidly. Seven of the tugs almost entirely-Ukrainian crew were brought to safety and have undergone hospital treatment.

Up to 18 others are still missing and rescuers fear they may be trapped aboard their capsized vessel nearly 40 meters down on the sea bed.

[Roger Tupper, Director of Marine]:
"To get signals from the vessel, knocking on the vessel, but we haven't had any signal back yet. But given the sea temperature, if the crew was able to find a pocket of air inside the vessel there is hope."

As daylight came salvage experts were working to move the sunken tug into shallower water. The two vessels collided late on Saturday night but divers were unable to find the tug for several hours at the given location.

Emergency workers say it may have been swept along by strong currents as it went down.

The bulk carrier involved in the accident suffered damage to its bow but no injuries have been reported among its 25 crew.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntdtv
• ukraine
• tug
• hongkong