At Least 10 Dead in Sinking Off Newfoundland Coast

At least 10 crew members from a Spanish fishing boat are dead and another 11 are missing in rough seas off Newfoundland. Authorities say the Villa de Pitanxo trawler sank at around 1am Tuesday morning shortly after a rescue center learned of an emergency beacon coming from around 250 nautical miles from the Canadian province's coast, CBC reports. Three survivors—and four bodies—were found in one of the vessel's four lifeboat, reports the AP. Two lifeboats were empty and authorities say a fourth is still unaccounted for.

The rescue center sent ships and planes from Canada's coast guard and air force to the scene. They spent Tuesday searching the area, assisted by other fishing boats, but hopes of finding more survivors are now fading. Spain's maritime rescue service says the 24-member crew included 16 Spanish citizens, five workers from Peru, and three from Ghana. Stephen Waller, a Canadian regional supervisor of maritime search and rescue, says 16-foot waves hampered the search operation Tuesday. He says it isn't clear why the boat went down and the rescue center hasn't yet been able to interview the survivors, who include the skipper and his nephew. "It appears whatever did happen happened quickly," Waller says. (More Canada stories.)