YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, December 7. / TASS /. The Russian rescuers have started to evacuate the crew members of the Chinese Xing Yuan ship, which took the bottom in the town of Kholmsk in Russia’s Sakhalin, Governor of the region Valery Limarenko stated on his Telegram channel on Tuesday.

"The captain of the Xing Yuan vessel, which ran aground off the coast of Kholmsk, asked to evacuate the crew. Currently, the staff of the regional Emergencies Ministry and the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing are working on the spot. The rescuers have started to evacuate the crew members from the damaged ship," the head of the region noted.

The government also reported that the divers had already begun to examine the hull of the vessel.

On Monday afternoon, the Chinese Xing Yuan vessel, which was built in 1993 and came to Kholmsk from Japan, took the bottom. There is no visible damage to the hull, fuel leaks, or any threat to the lives of 12 crew members, however, the main engine has failed. There is no cargo on board. The Sakhalin Region Transport Prosecutor Office has launched an inspection.