Three crew members died after a freighter registered in Cambodia sank Friday in the Sea of Japan off Aomori Prefecture, Japan Coast Guard officials said.
The 1,915-ton Ming Guang sank in stormy waters about 18 km off the town of Ajigasawa at around 6 a.m.
Although all 10 crew members were retrieved by helicopter and patrol boat, three later died after being taken to a hospital in Hakodate, Hokkaido.
The crew comprised two Bangladeshis, including the 35-year-old captain, a Myanmar national and seven Chinese. The vessel was carrying scrap items to South Korea from Hakodate.
The Coast Guard office received a report through the freighter's agent at around 11:40 p.m. Thursday that the vessel was submerged and a crew member was injured.
The Japan Transport Safety Board has dispatched two investigators to the area.
