MOSCOW, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian ship stranded in the Sea of Japan has been sending out distress signals since water flooded one of its holds earlier Monday, a Russian rescuer said.

The 18-member crew of the Sinegorye, sailing around 80 nautical miles from South Korea's east coast, sent out an SOS at 1.40 p.m. local time (6.40 a.m. Moscow time/2.40 a.m. GMT), a spokesman for the regional rescue center in Russia's Pacific city of Vladivostok said.

On the captain's orders, part of the timber cargo has been thrown overboard to keep the vessel afloat, the spokesman said.

"As no Russian ships are near, a South Korean patrol boat is heading the Sinegorye to render help," he said.