Here's what we know about the live export ship that capsized off Japan and the search for survivors
Forty people, including two Australians, are still missing after a live export ship went down in wild weather off the coast of Japan.
Japanese authorities have suspended a search for 40 missing sailors in the East China Sea, as a powerful typhoon heads to the region.
Two Australians are among those still missing after the Gulf Livestock 1 live export ship went missing in heavy seas on Wednesday.
One survivor has described the ship capsizing after it was hit by a wave.
What do we know about the ship?
The Gulf Livestock 1, a large ship on the ocean.
The Gulf Livestock 1 was carrying live 5,867 cattle on its way to China.(Supplied: VesselFinder.Com)
The Gulf Livestock 1 had 43 crew members on board, including two Australians, two New Zealanders and 39 Filipinos, when it issued a distress call early on Wednesday.
The Panamanian-registered, 11,947-tonne ship was west of Amami Oshima island in south-western Japan as Typhoon Maysak lashed the area with strong winds and heavy seas.
The ship was carrying 5,867 live cattle en route from New Zealand to China. It left New Zealand on August 14 and was heading to the port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China.
The cattle were being exported by the Australia-headquartered Australasian Global Exports, which specialises in live animal exports and owns quarantine facilities in China.
A rusty live cattle ship docked.
Lukas Orda, an Australian vet who boarded the vessel, posted on Facebook a picture of the live export ship in June.(Facebook: Lukas Orda)
Maritime Safety Queensland said the livestock carrier docked in Townsville on May 23, and in Gladstone on August 6.
The 139-metre vessel was built in 2002 and the registered owner is Amman-based Rahmeh Compania Naviera SA, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. The ship manager is Hijazi & Ghosheh Co.
New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said it had temporarily suspended live cattle export applications after the vessel went missing.
A cow that appears to be dead floats in the ocean
Dozens of cattle have been found dead in the ocean.(Supplied: Japan Coast Guard)
What happened to those on board?
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
WATCH
Duration: 1 minute 20 seconds1m 20s
Japanese rescue crews find another survivor from missing live export ship.
Only two survivors have been found so far.
Filipino chief officer Eduardo Sareno, 45, was found wearing a life vest and drifting in the ocean on Thursday night.
Mr Sareno told the Coast Guard one of the ship's engines lost power before the vessel was hit by a wave and capsized before sinking.
He jumped into the water and did not see any other crew members before he was rescued.
On Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard rescued another Filipino sailor.
A sailor from the Livestock 1 vessel, which is believed to have sunk in waters off Japan, waves to a rescue aircraft crew.
A rescue crew located the 30-year-old sailor about 4:00pm (local time) on Friday.(Supplied: Japan Coast Guard)
Officials said the 30-year-old was wearing a life jacket and floating on a life raft when he was found.
He was conscious and able to walk by himself.
A man who was found floating face down in the water on Friday morning was later pronounced dead.
That means 40 people are still unaccounted for, including two Australians.
One of them is 25-year-old Queensland vet Lukas Orda.
Man in blue cap and shirt holding a goat
A Queensland vet, Lukas Orda, is one of two Australians missing after the ship disappeared.(Supplied: Facebook)
Dr Orda is originally from Mt Isa but lived on the Gold Coast. He recently worked as an equine vet before being employed on the cattle export ship.
His wife Emma recently gave birth to their son Theo.
In June, Dr Orda posted a map of his planned journey on Facebook, alongside a picture of the live export ship that was to be his "ride and home" for the trip.
Australian and New Zealand foreign ministries are providing consular assistance.
"Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment," a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said in a statement earlier on Thursday.
Search crews have found dead cattle floating in the water.
How is the weather making it difficult?
Sole rescued crewman of live export ship says engine failed before capsize.
Filipino chief officer Sareno Edvardo, 45, was plucked from the ocean.(News Video)
The ship went missing as Typhoon Maysak lashed the area with strong winds and heavy seas.
Now another typhoon is making the search difficult.
Late on Friday the Coast Guard suspended its efforts amid strong winds and torrential rain from Typhoon Haishen.
The search is expected to resume once the severe weather passes the area.
Two Australians are among those still missing after the Gulf Livestock 1 live export ship went missing in heavy seas on Wednesday.
One survivor has described the ship capsizing after it was hit by a wave.
What do we know about the ship?
The Gulf Livestock 1, a large ship on the ocean.
The Gulf Livestock 1 was carrying live 5,867 cattle on its way to China.(Supplied: VesselFinder.Com)
The Gulf Livestock 1 had 43 crew members on board, including two Australians, two New Zealanders and 39 Filipinos, when it issued a distress call early on Wednesday.
The Panamanian-registered, 11,947-tonne ship was west of Amami Oshima island in south-western Japan as Typhoon Maysak lashed the area with strong winds and heavy seas.
The ship was carrying 5,867 live cattle en route from New Zealand to China. It left New Zealand on August 14 and was heading to the port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China.
The cattle were being exported by the Australia-headquartered Australasian Global Exports, which specialises in live animal exports and owns quarantine facilities in China.
A rusty live cattle ship docked.
Lukas Orda, an Australian vet who boarded the vessel, posted on Facebook a picture of the live export ship in June.(Facebook: Lukas Orda)
Maritime Safety Queensland said the livestock carrier docked in Townsville on May 23, and in Gladstone on August 6.
The 139-metre vessel was built in 2002 and the registered owner is Amman-based Rahmeh Compania Naviera SA, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. The ship manager is Hijazi & Ghosheh Co.
New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said it had temporarily suspended live cattle export applications after the vessel went missing.
A cow that appears to be dead floats in the ocean
Dozens of cattle have been found dead in the ocean.(Supplied: Japan Coast Guard)
What happened to those on board?
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
WATCH
Duration: 1 minute 20 seconds1m 20s
Japanese rescue crews find another survivor from missing live export ship.
Only two survivors have been found so far.
Filipino chief officer Eduardo Sareno, 45, was found wearing a life vest and drifting in the ocean on Thursday night.
Mr Sareno told the Coast Guard one of the ship's engines lost power before the vessel was hit by a wave and capsized before sinking.
He jumped into the water and did not see any other crew members before he was rescued.
On Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard rescued another Filipino sailor.
A sailor from the Livestock 1 vessel, which is believed to have sunk in waters off Japan, waves to a rescue aircraft crew.
A rescue crew located the 30-year-old sailor about 4:00pm (local time) on Friday.(Supplied: Japan Coast Guard)
Officials said the 30-year-old was wearing a life jacket and floating on a life raft when he was found.
He was conscious and able to walk by himself.
A man who was found floating face down in the water on Friday morning was later pronounced dead.
That means 40 people are still unaccounted for, including two Australians.
One of them is 25-year-old Queensland vet Lukas Orda.
Man in blue cap and shirt holding a goat
A Queensland vet, Lukas Orda, is one of two Australians missing after the ship disappeared.(Supplied: Facebook)
Dr Orda is originally from Mt Isa but lived on the Gold Coast. He recently worked as an equine vet before being employed on the cattle export ship.
His wife Emma recently gave birth to their son Theo.
In June, Dr Orda posted a map of his planned journey on Facebook, alongside a picture of the live export ship that was to be his "ride and home" for the trip.
Australian and New Zealand foreign ministries are providing consular assistance.
"Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment," a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said in a statement earlier on Thursday.
Search crews have found dead cattle floating in the water.
How is the weather making it difficult?
Sole rescued crewman of live export ship says engine failed before capsize.
Filipino chief officer Sareno Edvardo, 45, was plucked from the ocean.(News Video)
The ship went missing as Typhoon Maysak lashed the area with strong winds and heavy seas.
Now another typhoon is making the search difficult.
Late on Friday the Coast Guard suspended its efforts amid strong winds and torrential rain from Typhoon Haishen.
The search is expected to resume once the severe weather passes the area.