Russian ship hits iceberg off Antarctica

New Zealand: Several crew from a stricken Russian fishing boat have taken to life-rafts in icy Antarctic waters Friday as rescuers said it could take five days to reach them.

The Sparta began taking on water after hitting an iceberg and sent out a distress call from near the Antarctic ice shelf about 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 kilometres) southeast of New Zealand.

The Russian-flagged fishing boat with a crew of 32 -- 15 Russians, 16 Indonesians and a Ukrainian -- is on a 13-degree list after being holed 1.5 metres (five feet) below the water line.

Officers have remained on board and are pumping water from the hold while some crew have taken to life-rafts "as a precautionary measure", the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) said.

The RCCNZ has called for help from vessels working in the Southern Ocean but heavy sea ice made their movement difficult and they are "not expected to reach the area for four to five days", search coordinator Ramon Davis said.

The New Zealand vessel San Aspiring is 470 nautical miles away and should reach the Sparta by Tuesday.

The Sparta's sister ship, Chiyo Maru No 3, is only 290 nautical miles away but has no capacity to cut or break through sea ice, and another vessel is only 19 nautical miles away but is hemmed in by ice and unable to proceed. AFP