Australian ship disappears off the Japanese coast after being hit by a dangerous typhoon as coastguard scrambles to find the crew
- Vessel carrying 43 crew and 5,800 cattle has gone missing in East China Sea
- Two Australians and two from NZ are on board ship missing since Wednesday
- One crew member and a lifeboat have reportedly been found by authorities
An Australian live export ship has disappeared off the Japanese coast after being hit by a ferocious typhoon.
Two Australians and two New Zealanders along with 39 people from the Philippines are on board the vessel as well as 5,800 head of cattle.
The Japanese coast guard are now searching for the Gulf Livestock 1 that sent a distress signal after being hit by Typhoon Maysak in the East China Sea on Wednesday.
A lifeboat and a Filipino crew member were found drifting in the water on Wednesday night, the ABC reported.
The Gulf Livestock 1 has gone missing in the East China Sea carrying 43 crew on board along with 5,800 cattle
The Gulf Livestock sent out a distress signal at 1.20am on Wednesday while travelling west of the Amami Oshima island in south-western Japan
A Filipino crew member believed to be on board the Gulf Livestock 1 is rescued by Japanese Coast Guard teams
Rescue teams are still looking for the vessel that was due to arrive in the the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China on Friday
The crew member had not sustained any life-threatening injuries.
The vessel had left New Zealand on August 14 and was due to arrive at the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China on Friday.
Rescue teams are continuing their search for the ship but are struggling against strong winds and rain from the typhoon.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said he was made aware of the ships’ disappearance on Wednesday night, the NZ Herald reported.
‘I very much hope all the crew on board are safe. My thoughts are with their families; this will be a very difficult time for them as the search continues,’ he said.
‘Officials from MPI [Ministry for Primary Industries] are working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the exporter. I am awaiting an update on the situation.’
Satellite images over South Korea show Typhoon Maysak. The white circles indicate storm systems
Hugh waves are seen crashing against the shore in Jeju Island in South Korea from Typhoon Maysak
The Gulf Livestock 1 had been travelling west of the Amami Oshima island in south-western Japan before it went missing.
The typhoon has killed one person in neighbouring South Korea and forced 2,000 to evacuate.
A woman was killed after ferocious winds shattered the window in her apartment in Busan.
Another man aged in his 60s has been badly injured after being crushed by a refrigerator that fell due to extreme winds.
Across South Korea, around 120,000 homes have been left without power.
A tree has been uprooted in Okinawa, Japan after the typhoon ripped through