BEIRUT -- Lebanese and United Nations forces searched Friday for survivors from a Panamanian-flagged freighter that foundered off the Lebanese coast in heavy weather Thursday afternoon, killing at least 11.

The Lebanese military said dozens of the 83-strong international crew were still missing in high seas. Thirty-nine crew members were rescued alive Friday afternoon, according to an official in the Lebanese military. The nationalities of those rescued include Filipino, Uruguayan, Russian, Ukrainian, Brazilian, Pakistani and Lebanese.

The Lebanese navy directorate received distress signals at 4 p.m. Beirut time Thursday, according to a Lebanese military official. By the time the Lebanese Navy reached the location of the signal -- around 11 nautical miles off the Mediterranean coast of Tripoli, in northern Lebanon -- the vessel had sunk, the official said.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by continued heavy weather Friday. The Lebanese Navy was joined in the rescue operation by two civilian Lebanese vessels from Tripoli, assets from the U.N. peacekeeping mission active in Lebanon and the Syrian Navy. Two British helicopters also flew from Cyprus to assist, the military official said.

The ship, the Danny F II, was traveling from Uruguay to Syria, carrying a cargo of sheep and cattle, the military official said.

One of the Pakistani crewmembers, Ahmad Khan, said that before the vessel sank the crew felt it shake. The captain then instructed the crew to put on life vests and jump into the water, from where they watched the ship go under, he said.

"This is a very tragic incident, and our UNIFIL Maritime Task Force peacekeepers are doing their utmost to save the lives of the victims," said Claudio Graziano, major-general of the U.N.'s Interim Force in Lebanon. UNIFIL has a naval task force that monitors Lebanese waters to prevent weapons from reaching the country's Hezbollah guerrilla force.

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