The Russian emergency services ministry said the boat named Vostok sent out an emergency radio signal on Thursday morning local time from 200 kilometres (120 miles) off the coast of the eastern federal subject of Primorsky Krai.
“Attempts to communicate with the boat met with no success,” the ministry said. It sent out helicopters, boats, and a plane to search for the fishing vessel. A helicopter later spotted a buoy as well as two lifejackets floating on the water.
“Rescue attempts are hindered by rough sea and strong winds,” the ministry said.
The Investigative Committee which probes serious crimes said in a statement that it had opened a probe into possible breaches of safety rules for marine transport leading to multiple deaths.
It said the boat was going from the port of Donghae in South Korea to the port of Kholmsk on the Russian island of Sakhalin. It said the emergency signal was sent out around 5.30am on Thursday local time, and that the boat since then has not shown up on global positioning systems.
“In the area where the buoy went off, the boat and crew members have not been found,” it said.
The boat belongs to a large fishing company based on Sakhalin that specialises in catching crab, Interfax reported.
Sakhalin’s local government said in a statement that the boat was in an area with a lot of shipping and “chances are high for a positive outcome.”