TOKYO, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A cargo ship capsized off Nagasaki Prefecture in southwestern Japan, the coast guard said, having received a distress call from the vessel late on Tuesday.

The coast guard said there were 22 people aboard the 6,651-ton ship named Jintan, of which 13 have been rescued, according to the latest reports.

The distress call was made around 11:15 p.m. (1415 GMT) from about 110 km west of the Danjo Islands, the coast guard said.

Some crew members made it into rescue boats before Jintan sank, according to another vessel sailing in the vicinity.

Patrol boats and aircraft are searching for those who remain missing and are hoping they may be adrift in lifeboats.

The coast guard, however, has said the search and rescue efforts are being hampered by powerful winds in the vicinity of the sunken cargo ship.

When the distress call was issued from the cargo ship, a gale warning was also issued, according to local reports.

Of those rescued, five of the crew members were picked up by a private vessel that provided assistance to the capsized ship. The private vessel alerted the coast guard that those they had rescued were saved before the ship sank.

Eight other crew members were rescued by Japan's Air Self-Defense Force and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, as well as the South Korean coast guard who also helped in the rescue.

The ship and its 22 crew members were en route to Incheon, South Korea, carrying wood and other goods. Enditem

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