ANKARA, Feb 8 (AFP) - The Turkish coast guard launched an operation Tuesday to rescue the 11-man crew of a North Korean cargo ship that ran into trouble off Turkey's northern coast, Anatolia news agency reported.
The ship began sending S.O.S. signals after it leaned sideways about 30 nautical miles off the Black Sea port city of Sinop, local officials told the agency.
The 11 crewmen left the ship on a life boat.
Two army helicopters were supporting the rescue operation.
The vessel, ladden with iron and wood, was en route from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to Syria.
02/08/2005 14:25 GMT - AFP