A large South Korean ore carrier with 24 people on board has gone missing in the South Atlantic, after its last contact with authorities about 2,500 kilometers off the coast of Uruguay.
Seoul's official Yonhap news agency said the 266,000-ton Stellar Daisy was last heard from Friday, when a crew member texted the ship was listing (tilting) sharply to port and was in danger of sinking. The ship had departed Brazil on March 26.
"It is an emergency," the short message read. "Water leakage in port #2."
Yonhap later reported that two crew had been found afloat and rescued. But it said other lifeboats and rafts found in the area were empty.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry said it has asked Uruguay and Brazil for help in search and rescue operations, and said commercial vessels near the site of last known contact had joined the search.
Authorities say the Stellar Daisy, owned and operated by South Korea's Polaris Shipping, was carrying iron ore from Brazil to China when it sent the distress signal Friday.
