VLADIVOSTOK, November 21 (RIA Novosti, 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.
