Aid ship sinks on way to hungry N. Korea

March 20, 1996
Web posted at: 10:30 p.m. EST (0330 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A ship carrying more then 6,000 tons of rice for flood victims in North Korea has sunk in stormy weather in the Taiwan Strait, the State Department said Wednesday.

Fifteen crew members were missing, and nine had been rescued, according to State Department spokesman Glyn Davies.

A senior U.N. official said Wednesday the long flood emergency in North Korea was over, but relief officials said the sinking of a the ship was a devastating blow for a country where millions have gone hungry.

The Chinese freighter Chengda, chartered by the World Food Program, was carrying $2 million worth of rice from the United States, as well as rice provided by Australia and Switzerland.

"The freighter was carrying the entire American contribution to the North Korean victims," Davies said. "The vessel was fully insured. The cargo should be quickly replaced."

The ship left port in Bangkok on March 11. It was due to dock in Nampo, North Korea, on March 23.

Davies said the sinking was not connected to the missile tests completed yesterday in the strait by China.

Related stories:

• Hunger, not 'mega-death,' stalks North Korea
• Floods force North Korea to ask for international help

Related sites:

• The Internet Campaign to Help North Korean Flood Victims
• United Nations World Food Program

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