At Least 3 Found Dead From Russian Sunken Ship In Pacific

Two bodies were pulled out of the water Saturday by a Russian Navy ship searching for Russian sailors from a sunken cargo ship in the Sea of Japan, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said. The spokesman said an Il-38 plane spotted the bodies from the air in North Korean waters. He added that one body had been identified, without giving the name.The ship Sinegorye, which was transporting timber, sank Monday around 80 nautical miles off South Korea's east coast, when a sudden heavy storm broke out. Eleven sailors out of the 18-man crew were found alive and two were found dead earlier by South Korea's rescuers. Pacific Fleet sent the Mashuk rescue vessel and the Il-38 plane Friday to join rescue efforts after South Korean rescuers called off their search in North Korean territorial waters.Russia's Foreign Ministry earlier asked Pyongyang permission for Russian vessels to enter North Korea's waters to pick sailors' bodies. The missing sailors could have been swept to the east coast of North Korea by a northwesterly current, South Korean coast guard officials said earlier.