An international effort is underway to rescue seven people trapped aboard a Russian mini-submarine off the Pacific coast.

Crews are racing to save a Russian mini-submarine trapped in the remote Pacific with seven sailors on board and oxygen supplies dwindling, navy officials said today.

Russian news agencies have reported that Japan is to send four ships to help rescue seven Russian sailors trapped on a naval mini-submarine on the sea floor off the Pacific Coast.

A deep-sea diving vessel with seven sailors aboard was stuck on the sea floor off the Kamchatka Peninsula yesterday after becoming caught on an unidentified object, Russian navy officials and news reports said.