Dubai operator of a sunken ship carrying 43 crew 'praying for survivors'

Gulf Livestock 1 was en route from New Zealand to China when it lost an engine and capsized near Japan

A Filipino crew member of Gulf Livestock 1, a cargo ship carrying livestock and dozens of crew members that went missing after issuing a distress signal due to Typhoon Maysak, is rescued by Japan Coast Guard crew members to the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan. Reuters

A Filipino crew member of Gulf Livestock 1 is rescued by Japan Coast Guard crew onboard the vessel Kaimon. Reuters

A Filipino crew member from the missing livestock ship is seen after being rescued by the Japan Coast Guard off the coast of Japan. Reuters

A Filipino crew member of Gulf Livestock 1 is rescued by Japan Coast Guard crew onboard the vessel Kaimon. Reuters

A man is being rescued from a life raft by coast guards. AFP

A Filipino crew member waits to depart the life raft during rescue by Japan Coast Guard crew onto the vessel Kaimon. Reuters

A life jacket is found in the rescue site of capsized cattle ship 'Gulf Livestock 1' in the East China Sea. Japan Coast Guard, 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters via Getty Images

Ropes are found in the rescue site of capsized cattle ship 'Gulf Livestock 1' in the East China Sea. Japan Coast Guard, 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters via Getty Images

A life boat is found in the rescue site of capsized cattle ship 'Gulf Livestock 1' in the East China Sea. Japan Coast Guard, 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters via Getty Images

The Dubai-based operator of a ship which capsized while carrying 43 crew and nearly 6,000 cattle said it is “praying for survivors”.

Just two crew members have so far been rescued following the incident, which occurred early on Wednesday in the East China Sea near Japan.

The boat lost an engine while being lashed by high winds and heavy seas from Typhoon Maysak, a category 4 storm which reached its peak intensity of 230 kilometers per hour.

It was en route from New Zealand to China at the time.

“Our hearts go out to those onboard and their families at this time,” said a statement from Dubai-based Gulf Navigation Holdings.

“We also express deep regret for the sad loss of the livestock on board. We pray that there are other survivors.”

The company owns and operates a range of ships, including chemical tankers.

The Gulf Livestock 1 ship sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in south-western Japan.

The country’s coastguard found Sareno Edvarodo, a 45-year-old chief officer from the Philippines, while searching for the ship.

He told his rescuers the ship lost an engine before it was hit by a wave and capsized.

The crew was instructed to put on lifejackets and he jumped into the water but did not see any other crew members before he was rescued.

On Friday, the coast guard pulled a second survivor from the water.

Jay-nel Rosals, a 30-year-old deckhand from the Philippines, was floating in a raft in the waters north of the Amami Oshima island.

The coastguard had earlier found a man who was unconscious and floating face down about 120 kilometers northwest of the island. He was taken to hospital but was later declared dead.

Takahiro Yamada, a senior spokesman for the regional coast guard headquarters, said dozens of cow carcasses were seen floating in the area.

New Zealand has temporarily suspended any new approvals for the export of live cows, saying it “wants to understand what happened on the sailing of the Gulf Livestock 1.”

In total, 39 of the 43-strong crew were from the Philippines. There were also two New Zealanders and two Australians.

Typhoon Maysak was bearing down on southern Japan when the ship sunk. Its tracker showed it sailing in high winds of 58 knots, or 107 kilometers per hour.