N. Korean ship sinks, 6 seamen missing

BEIJING, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A North Korean cargo ship sank off Dalian in northeast China, leaving six crew members missing, Chinese authorities said.

There were 20 crew members aboard the vessel when it went down Tuesday due to strong winds about 90 nautical miles southeast of Dalian, China state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A Transport Ministry official said Chinese helicopters and rescue vessels, responding to an SOS message from the North Korean vessel, managed to save 14 of the seamen adrift on life rafts, the report said.

"We are still searching for another raft and the other six crewmembers," the official said.

The vessel was en route from Nampo, North Korea, to Dalian.