7 Poles feared dead after ship capsizes off Scottish coast

A handout picture provided by the British Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on 03 January 2015 shows the hull of an upturned cargo vessel off the coast of Northern Scotland, Britain, 03 January 2015. EPA.

The search was resumed on Sunday morning, after no trace of those on board was found on Saturday.

The Cypriot-registered cargo ship Cemfjord was spotted upturned on Saturday afternoon by the Northlink ferry Hrossey as it sailed through the firth.

Cemfjord's owner, Brise of Hamburg, has released a statement indicating that no forewarning had been given.

''No distress call was received from the vessel,'' Brise affirmed.

''Bad weather prevailed in the area at the time and conditions remain difficult at the scene, with storm force winds.

''The crew of seven [includes] seven Polish seafarers and one Filipino mariner. The company is in the process of informing the families.''

Cemfjord had been transporting a cargo of 2,000 tonnes of cement from Aalborg, Denmark, to Runcorn in Cheshire, England.

Besides Northlink's ferry, four lifeboats and two rescue helicopters have taken part in the search thus far. (nh)