ROME, March 13 -- A Greek merchant ship sank Monday in heavy seas off the eastern coast of Sicily, killing at least three crew members, Italian rescue officials said. The 4,400-ton (4,000-tonne) Pelhunter with 15 crew members on board went down at around midday 140 miles (225 km) southeast of the Sicilian port of Catania, officials said.
The bodies of three crew members were found floating in the sea, officials said. Two crew members were picked up by a helicopter. Two Italian Navy helicopters were flying over the scene looking for other crew members and eight cargo vessels were heading to the area to assist with rescue operations, said Capt. Ferdinando Lolli, the commander of the coast guard's Central Operations Room in Rome. He said the cause of the sinking was not yet known, but it had occurred in extremely rough seas. The Pelhunter was traveling from Valencia in Spain to Greece with a cargo of building materials. The storm also caused heavy flooding in the Catania area Monday, resulting in at least five deaths, civil protection officials said.
