A Russian fishing boat caught fire off South Korea's east coast but 71 of its 73 crewmen were rescued, according to South Korean Navy on Sunday.

The oceangoing Russian fishing boat named Almaz left South Korean port of Donghae on Saturday with 73 crewmen, included sevenSouth Koreans. A South Korean navy patrol boat found it on fire 55kilometers northwest of South Korean Ullung island, about 150 kilometers off South Koreas' east coast, said a news release of South Korean Navy.

Then, South Korean Navy dispatched a destroyer and other smaller ships to the area and successfully rescued most of the seamen.

South Korean rescuers were searching the nearby sea for the twomissing crewmen who were identified as a 58-year-old South Korean and a Russian, the release said, adding rescue operations were hampered by high seas and sporadic rain

The cause of the fire was unknown, it said.

Source: Xinhua