Russian Trawler Almaz Towed to South Korean Port

VLADIVOSTOK (RIA Novosti, by Anatoly Ilyukhov) - Rescue ships towed the Russian trawler Almaz that had been destroyed by fire to the South Korean port of Donghea.

Sources in the Far Eastern fish fleet supervision office told RIA Novosti that South Korean rescue ships also transported 72 Almaz crewmembers to the shore. 48 crewmembers are Russian citizens.

Only one sailor, a South Korean citizen, is considered missing.

The trawler with an international crew headed from South Korean port of Pusan to Vladivostok. It was later scheduled to sail to the Okhotsk Sea for herring fishing. On Sunday, when the trawler was in South Korean territorial waters, the ship was shaken by an explosion that caused a subsequent conflagration.

Three rescue vessels from Pusan fought with the fire on board the Almaz for four hours. Rescue crews report that the ship has been destroyed by fire beyond recovery.

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Missing Sailor from "Almaz" Trawler is
South Korean Citizen

VLADIVOSTOK, November 21 (RIA Novosti, by Anatoly Ilyukhov) - A sailor reported missing from Russian trawler Almaz, burning in the Sea of Japan, is a South Korean citizen, sources in the Far Eastern fish fleet supervision office told RIA Novosti.

All 72 other crewmembers were rescued and are being transported to the shore. More than half of them are Russian citizens.

In the mean time, South Korean rescue ships localized and extinguished the fire on board the Almaz trawler. Rescue crews report that the ship was almost completely destroyed by fire and it is beyond recovery.

The trawler headed from Pusan to Valdivostok.

The fire on board the ship sailing near the coast of South Korea started after an explosion. Three vessels from the port of Pusan answered the trawler's distress signal and came to rescue. The causes of the explosion on board the ship are still unknown.