Ships searching the windswept waters between South Korea and Japan have picked up at least 12 of the 22 crew members from the cargo ship that sank early Wednesday. Officials said only one of them remained conscious, but did not immediately confirm any deaths. South Korean and Japanese coast guard vessels and aircraft, as well as two commercial cargo ships, continued to search for the 10 missing crew members, but efforts were hampered by strong winds and waves, South Korean officials said. The 6,551-ton Jin Tan sank about three and a half hours after a distress call was sent at around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Japan Coast Guard spokesman Shinya Kitahara said. The vessel, which was registered in Hong Kong and was carrying timber, sank about 160 kilometers (100 miles) southwest of Nagasaki, Japan, and about 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of South Korea’s Jeju Island.

The captain last communicated with the coast guard via satellite phone around 2:41 a.m. and said the crew members would leave the ship minutes before it sank, Jeju Island coast guard officials said.

Six crew members were picked up by South Korean coast guard vessels, while the cargo ship was picked up by five and, according to the Jeju Coast Guard, one by a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel. According to South Korean and Japanese officials, 14 crew members are Chinese and eight are from Myanmar. Kitahara, who confirmed the rescue of at least four crew members, said the cause of the ship’s sinking was not immediately known and there was no indication that the ship had collided with another vessel. He said the arrivals of Japanese patrol boats and aircraft were delayed by bad weather after the sinking.

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