At least four fishermen died and 17 were missing after a Spanish trawler sank in rough waters off eastern Canada on Tuesday, Spanish and Canadian officials said.
Rescuers saved three crew members after the boat went down about 460 kilometres east of Newfoundland, Canada's Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said.
The Spanish Transport Ministry said there were 24 crew members on board the vessel — 16 Spanish nationals, five Peruvians and three from Ghana.
The Villa de Pitanxo, a 50-metre fishing vessel that is based in Spain's north-western Galicia region, sent out two distress calls that were received at 5.24am in Madrid, the ministry said.
Hours later, another Spanish fishing vessel that was in the area saw two life rafts, one of which was carrying three survivors and several bodies, it said.
"In one, there were just three survivors who were in a state of hypothermic shock because the temperature of the water is horrible, very low," said Maica Larriba, a representative of Spain's central government in the Galicia region.
Ms Larriba said the survivors had been flown to safety by a Canadian coastguard helicopter and that rescuers had found two other life rafts that were "totally empty", while searching for a third.
Canadian rescuers said they hoped more survivors could be found.
"The fact that we have already found three survivors in a life raft gives us that hope that others were able to either get into their survival suits, get into life rafts and get off the vessel," Brian Owens of the Canadian rescue centre said.
Canadian rescuers had sent a helicopter, a military plane, a coastguard ship and several boats to search for the missing crew members, Mr Owens said.
"The weather right now is challenging for the search. It's approximately four-metre waves and visibility is down to approximately one quarter nautical mile," he said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the boat to founder.
"We certainly could be talking about one of the saddest days for Galician fishing in its entire history," said Javier Touza, head of the Shipowner's Co-operative in the north-western Spanish city of Vigo.
The Villa de Pitanxo is a freezer trawler registered in 2004 that is based in Marin, a small port near Pontevedra, and belongs to shipowner Manuel Nores.
Founded in 1950, the company has eight freezer trawlers and about 300 employees, with vessels operating off the Canadian coast, in the South Atlantic and off the western coast of Africa, its website says.
"We are following with concern the search and rescue operation for the crew of the Galician ship that sunk in the waters of Newfoundland," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted.
"All my love to their families. The government remains in constant contact with rescue services."
Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, who is from Galicia, said she was "shocked" by the news of the accident.
"Bad news is reaching us from the other side of the Atlantic," Ms Diaz tweeted. "All my love and support to the families of the crew in their pain at this time of uncertainty."
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
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Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
