Ship hits Japan breakwater

Rescue workers struggled against strong waves and high tides

At least six crew members have been killed and one is missing after a South Korean cargo ship hit a breakwater in Japan.

Coastguards said the 5,500-ton Marine Osaka almost split in two near Ishikari port on the Japanese island, Hokkaido.

Some of the 16-strong crew, half of whom are South Korean and the rest Burmese, were thrown into the water by the force of the impact.

The incident was believed to have been caused by strong winds and high waves.

The nationalities of those who died are not yet known.

"Some crew members were thrown out into the ocean after the accident. We rescued 15 members and are still searching for one missing crew member," a coastguard official told news agency AFP.

Of the 15 rescued, six died at a nearby hospital, the official said.

He said the nine surviving crew members had all been injured but gave no further details.

The cargo hold was empty at the time of the crash, the coastguard official added.