Ship carrying 16 Filipinos, 8 S Koreans missing near Uruguay

Seoul: South Korea's government says a cargo ship being used by a South Korean shipping company has gone missing in seas near Uruguay with 24 crew members. A Foreign Ministry official says the ship went out of contact late yesterday, South Korea time, shortly after one of the crew members sent a text message to the shipping company saying the ship was taking on water.

The official said Saturday that the Uruguayan maritime police and a commercial vessel that had been in neighboring waters were searching for the Stella Daisy. The official, who didn't want to be named, citing office rules, said eight South Koreans and 16 Filipinos were on the ship. He said the ship was registered in the Marshall Islands.