Still no news of missing Latvian crew member of sunk Dalniy Vostok: Foreign Ministry

The Latvian Foreign Ministry still has no information about the missing Latvian crew member of the Russian fishing trawl Dalniy Vostok which sank in the Sea of Okhotsk on Thursday, the ministry's press secretary Ivars Lasis told LETA.

"The fate of this sailor is still unclear, as he was among neither the rescued, nor those who died," said Lasis.

Two of the rescued Latvian sailors are currently on their way to the Russian island of Sakhalin. Once they reach land, they will contact representatives of the Latvian Embassy.

"The ministry's consular department has contacted the families of all three sailors, and maintains constant contact with them," Lasis added.

At least 54 people lost their lives on Thursday when the Dalniy Vostok sank in the Sea of Okhotsk, near the Kamchatka peninsula, officials of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry announced. 

The Foreign Ministry has received confirmation that the other two citizens of Latvia who were aboard the Dalniy Vostok when it sank are alive. It has been reported that the Dalniy Vostok had 132 people on board - 78 Russian citizens and 54 foreigners.