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SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean cargo vessel is missing after losing contact in the South Atlantic about 1,500 miles offshore, South Korea’s foreign ministry said Sunday.

22 crew members are unaccounted for, the foreign ministry confirmed.

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Two Filipino crew members floating in a life raft were rescued Saturday, but other lifeboats found in the area were empty, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.

On Friday a crew member sent a text message saying the 148,000-tonne ship was taking in water on the port side, Yonhap said.

Stellar Daisy went missing 1,500 miles off Brazil's South Atlantic coast Smith, Saphora (206526372) / Google Maps

"A search operation is continuing for the 22 people," a South Korean foreign ministry official in Seoul said, adding eight of the missing are South Korean nationals and 14 are Filipinos.

South Korea has requested Brazil and Uruguay to aid in the search and rescue.

The very large ore carrier (VLOC) Stellar Daisy was sailing from Brazil to China carrying iron ore when it sent a distress signal to its operator, South Korea’s Polaris Shipping, on Friday, Yonhap said.

The ship is owned by the shipping firm which is based in Busan, South Korea.