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Surviving Chinese sailors in Russia return home

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-25 10:11

Related readings:  Russia urged to share info on cargo ship sinking  China 'shocked' by ship sinking incident  Russia's attitude on ship incident 'unacceptable'  Investigate sinking of ship, Russia exhorted  Ship sinks in Russia, 7 missing

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- Three Chinese sailors who survived the sinking of a civilian cargo ship at the Sea of Japan left the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok for home on Wednesday.

The three were rescued when the dry cargo ship New Star, with 16 crew members aboard, sank on February 15 at the Sea of Japan, after being fired upon by Russian coastal guard vessels that were chasing it.

Half of the 16 crew members, including one Indonesian and seven Chinese, got lost after boarding a raft. The survivors were rescued by another Russian ship.

Russia's law enforcement department has launched a criminal case to probe into the incident.