Three people are missing off Russia after a cargoship sank with unauthorised passengers on board.
The 400-dwt Anatoliy Krasheninnikov (built 1989) went down in the Sea of Okhotsk on 9 November with 13 people, of whom 10 were rescued.
Kamchatka’s deputy transport prosecutor Ivan Netsvet told the TASS news agency on Wednesday: "It was established that the vessel’s departure from the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was carried out with violations.
"The ship’s crew list had 10 names, but, in fact, the crew consisted of only eight crew members.
"Besides, four crew members on the ship’s crew list were absent; other people were on board instead of them."
He added: "In addition, it was also established that five passengers were not authorised to be on board. The port’s chief was not notified about them when the vessel was departing."
Investigators are trying to establish a cause of the sinking.
Bad weather has led to a search being suspended.
The vessel, owned by Parkhomchuk of Russia, was carrying 280 tonnes of construction materials.
