Typhoon halts Japan's search for ship survivors

Japan's coast guard has suspended its search for a capsized ship as the country braces itself to be hit by a typhoon expected to produce winds of nearly 300 kilometers an hour.

The ship, Gulf Livestock 1, had 43 crew members and nearly 6000 cattle onboard. It sent a distress call on Wednesday after being caught up in Typhoon Maysak on its way to China from New Zealand.

Two crew members have since been found alive, including the vessel's chief officer. Another man was found in the water, but he was pronounced dead in hospital on Friday.

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But the search for more survivors has been temporarily called off as another storm, Typhoon Haishen, is expected to hit the area with winds reaching up to 290 kilometers per hour (180 miles per hour).

"We resumed our search operation this morning by dispatching an airplane," a local coast guard told the AFP news agency. "But due to high waves, we could not send any patrol boats to the site."

"We still plan to send ships to join the search operation but it's not certain as another typhoon is approaching the region,"the official said, adding that there were no clues to the fate of the rest of missing crew.

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Authorities have classified Haishen as a "violent storm”, which is the top level on the country's classification scale. Officials said the search will resume once weather conditions improve.

The crew consisted of 39 citizens from the Philippines, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia, according to Japan's coast guard.

jf/rc (/dpa-Reuters-AFP)