Over 40 killed as trawler sinks off Russia

Moscow, April 2: At least 43 people died when a trawler with 132 people on board sank off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East, a rescue official said, according to media reports on Thursday.

The official added that 63 people were rescued. "All in all, 106 people (those who had died and the survivors) have been taken aboard the ships participating in the rescue operation," the officer said.

Twenty-six people are still missing, while 26 fishing vessels are involved in the search and rescue operation, according to reports.

The TASS news agency reported earlier that there were 78 Russian nationals on board the trawler, as well as 54 foreign nationals from Myanmar, Ukraine, Lithuania and Vanuatu.

The trawler Dalniy Vostok, owned by Magellan LLC, sank in the Sea of Okhotsk 330 km west of Krutogorovsky settlement in the Kamchatka region and 250 km south of the city of Magadan.

The reason behind the accident is not yet clear.

IANS