Four missing after cargo ship capsizes at Russia's Sakhalin Island

The Russian Marine Rescue Service (RMRS) reports that four people have gone missing after a cargo vessel capsized at a port in Far East Russia on Friday, October 18.

The Ro-Ro vessel Grigory Lovtsov was conducting cargo operations at the Port of Korsakov on Sakhalin Island when it listed heavily and subsequently overturned in the early afternoon (local time) of Friday.

The Korsakov harbour master ordered four nearby vessels to divert to the area to conduct search and rescue (SAR) operations. The responding vessels included two tugs.

The SAR effort led to the successful recovery of three survivors. However, four other crewmembers remain unaccounted for.

The survivors have since been brought to hospital while the capsized vessel has been towed to port to allow investigators to assess the damage and to inspect the onboard compartments for any sign of the four missing sailors.

An initial investigation by the RMRS revealed that capsizing was caused by the shifting of cargo as it was being loaded onto the vessel.

Grigory Lovtsov was loading building materials and construction equipment when the incident occurred.