A 5,000-dwt cargo ship that sank in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday has been abandoned, as all 14 crew members were safely evacuated by Japan’s coast guard, reports said.

The 2005-built Tong Yuan Hai vessel was transporting coal from Russia’s Nakhodka port to South Korea’s Pohang port with a cargo of coal.

The vessel then reported water ingress and developed a list about 280 km northwest of Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture.

Japan’s coast guard rescued the crew of 14 during the rescue operations comprising of patrol boats and a helicopter amid heavy seas.