Hunt on for 6 crew of ship that overturned in typhoon near Saipan

HAGATNA, Guam: The U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday that an overturned ship found near the U.S. territory of Saipan was the same one that went missing earlier with six people on board.

The search for the six missing people was still ongoing. The Coast Guard said in a statement that the overturned boat was spotted first on Sunday. Debris from the ship included a life raft that was partly underwater and only partially inflated. It was spotted about 95 nautical miles northeast of the ship.

A U.S. Air Force HC-130 Hercules plane crew confirmed on Sunday night that the ship was the cargo vessel Mariana, according to the Coast Guard. The plane sent rescuers, divers, and boats to the area.

Officials said that if divers can safely enter the ship, they may use an underwater remote-controlled drone to explore it further.

Coast Guard aircraft continued searching for the six missing people near the Northern Mariana Islands. So far, the Coast Guard and teams from Guam, Japan, and New Zealand have searched over 75,000 square nautical miles.

The Mariana, a 145-foot cargo ship registered in the U.S., lost engine power on April 15 as a powerful typhoon hit Saipan and nearby islands with strong winds and heavy rain.

After the crew reported losing one engine and asked for help, the Coast Guard arranged to check in with them every hour.

However, contact was lost the next day. A search plane took off that morning but had to return to Guam because of strong winds.

The ship's last known location was about 140 miles north-northwest of Saipan, which is far west of Hawaii.

Typhoon Sinlaku caused flooding, ripped off roofs, and flipped cars in Saipan. The storm lasted about 48 hours, and the strong winds made it difficult for rescue teams to respond quickly and help people.

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