Tel Aviv, Dec 12 :UN and Israeli vessels were Saturday searching for 11 crew from a cargo ship that sank off the coast of the northern Israeli port of Haifa early in the day, media reports said.

The Israeli-owned, Togolese-flagged Salla 2 was transporting building materials from Greece to Haifa when it sank some 80 km from its destination.

The ship issued a mayday call at around 2 am. A NATO ship and Cypriot boats were sent to scan the area. Only one of its 12 Ukrainian crew members was rescued.

Israel sent air force and naval troops to the area to reinforce search operations.(DPA)