The Indian Navy has sent an aircraft to help find 10 sailors who went missing after a cargo ship sank near the Philippines coast on October 13, ANI reported on Monday. The ship had 26 Indians on board, of which 16 were rescued.

The Navy’s reconnaissance aircraft has reached Manila for the search and rescue operation, an unidentified official said. The aircraft can carry 10 people, and has emergency food and water supplies.

The sailors were reported missing after their ship, the 33,205-tonne Emerald Star, sank in the Pacific Ocean after a typhoon. The ship sank about 600 km south of the Ishigaki island in South West Japan, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.

The Japanese Coast Guard had said it received a distress signal from the vessel early on October 13, when it was about 280 km east of the northern tip of the Philippines. Three ships sailing in the region rescued 16 crew members.