All 14 seafarers were being evacuated from a multipurpose (MPP) cargoship that grounded in a storm off Russia on Tuesday morning.

The 5,600-dwt Rise Shine (built 1999) has reportedly suffered hull cracking, but remains intact despite reports it had broken in two.

The Panama-flag vessel beached near the port of Nakhodka in Primorye.

Vostok Media said a rescue operation was launched to take the Chinese crew off the ship.

Video footage showed high waves lashing the MPP as an MI-8 helicopter moved in to winch the seafarers from the deck.

Nine crew rescued so far

Nine crew members have been safely removed, according to the latest update from the ministry of emergency situations.

Alexei Kravchenko, a spokesman for the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport, told Vostok Media there is a crack in the hull.

The TASS news agency had earlier cited a port source as saying the vessel had broken in two.

The situation is under the personal control of the governor of Primorye, Oleg Kozhemyako, who headed to the scene and instructed rescue teams to avoid any possible oil spill.

The Rise Shine has 199 containers on board, weighing a total of 1,630 tonnes. Of these, 721 tonnes are on deck.

The vessel is operated by Yihui Ship Management of Hong Kong, which has been contacted for further information.

The cargoship has no port state control detentions on record since 2018

Russia's Transport Prosecutor's Office has launched an inquiry into the incident.