Missing N Korean crew feared dead

8220;There has been no word from the North Korean side,8221; he said adding that insurance company officials were headed for the Sri Lankan capital Colombo to investigate the incident.

The 52,000-tonne Hyundai Duke and the 7,000-tonne freighter Manpok collided between Sri Lanka and Sumatra late Wednesday.

Two North Koreans were rescued by the crew of the Hyundai Duke but 37 others remained missing after their vessel sank immediately.

In Sri Lanka the ship-to-shore communications centre, Colombo Radio, said it had no news of the missing crewmen.

A spokesman for Colombo Radio said they wereyet to make direct voice contact with the South Korean ship which is due to arrive at Colombo later Friday or early Saturday.

The Hyundai Duke, which sustained minor damage, searched for survivors until late Thursday before it handed over the operation to another Hyundai vessel and left for Colombo.

Colombo Radio said on Thursday that the Indian Air Force had sent a plane from the Andaman Islands to look for the missing North Koreans. India had also sent a Coast Guard vessel from Chennai and a navy craft from Vishakapatnam, it said.

It was believed to be the first time civilian vessels from South and North Korea have been involved in an incident since the Korean War of 1950-53 ended in an armistice, leaving the two countries still being technically at war.

But the Unification Ministry, which is responsible for relations with North Korea, said the Seoul government had no plans to intervene in handling the accident.

8220;The case and the issue of returning the two rescued North Koreans to theNorth should be handled in line with international practices for dealing with maritime incidents,8221; an official said.

8220;Although the accident involved ships from North and South Korea, there is no need for the ministry to intervene. This is just an accident and we don8217;t think it will damage inter-Korean relations.8221;

Hyundai Merchant Marine Company is an affiliate of the Hyundai Group which is engaged in an ambitious series of business projects in the communist North.

The Seoul government is attempting to engage the North through business contacts.

Hyundai has said its ship, bound for France, was sailing normally when the North Korean vessel reportedly crossed its route.