Seven of the eleven-man crew of the Bulgarian ship Vanessa have died, RIA Novosti said.

One crew member has been saved, while three others were still missing, Bulgarian National Radio quoted the regional centre of the Russian ministry of extraordinary situations.

The Vanessa sank on the morning of January 3 2008, in the the Sea of Azov, near the Strait of Kerch.

"Rescue teams lifted eight of the crew members from the sea, only one of them was alive. The faith of the remaining three is unknown, but we keep searching," the press centre of the ministry said.

Earlier, Itar-Tass announced that two bodies had been found.

Ships and helicopters were being used in the rescue effort for the remaining crew members. Waves were said to reach three meters in the region, while wind reached speeds of up to 20m per second, making rescue efforts more difficult.