BEIJING, November 11. /TASS/. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin thanked Moscow during a Thursday briefing for rescuing 14 Chinese sailors after a cargo ship ran aground off the coast of Nakhodka, Russia.

"On November 9, a Panama-flagged cargo ship went aground amid bad weather in the vicinity of Nakhodka, a city in the Primorsky Krai of the Russian Far East, ending up in a dangerous situation. There were 14 Chinese citizens aboard the ship," the spokesman said. According to Wang, after receiving a distress call from the ship, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry immediately sent a helicopter with an emergency response team to the site.

"All the 14 Chinese citizens were rescued and are now safe. The ship’s hull was damaged, but the vessel did not sink. No casualties were reported. We would like to extend our gratitude for the rescue operation to the Russian agencies involved," Wang added.

"China’s foreign diplomatic services operating in the area were aware of the incident and took appropriate steps," he also said.

The Rise Shine cargo ship ran aground off the coast of Nakhodka Tuesday morning. The vessel’s hull cracked, but it is still stable. The ship’s crew comprised of 14 Chinese citizens were successfully evacuated.

The vessel is a Panama-flagged ship. According to open source data, it is 101 meters long and 19 meters wide.