Death toll rises to 13 in Falkland Islands fishing boat disaster

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The death toll from the sinking of a fishing vessel off the Falkland Islands on Monday is believed to have risen to 13 people after a search for survivors was halted amid stormy weather, the boat's Norwegian owner told Reuters on Thursday.

A total of 27 crew members had been aboard the Argos Georgia, a Saint Helena-flagged vessel, of whom 14 were rescued and nine were found dead, Ervik Havfiske Holding said.

The remaining four members of the crew are still missing and were presumed dead when the Falkland Islands' government halted the search for survivors late on Wednesday, CEO Stig Ervik said.

"We're really sad for these families who have lost their fathers and husbands," Ervik said, adding that the company had contacted the next of kin of those who were feared dead.

The crew consisted of 10 Spaniards, eight Russians, five Indonesians, two Peruvians and two Uruguayans, all of whom were between 30 and 58-years-old.

One of the rescued crew members remained in King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, for minor treatment on Thursday, while 12 had been discharged and were staying in a nearby hotel.

The last survivor, who was rescued by a trawler, was only expected to return to Stanley on Thursday, Ervik said.

The British overseas territory's government said in a statement that efforts would be made to recover the four crew members still missing as soon as weather conditions permitted.

The Argos Georgia was 200 nautical miles east of Stanley when it sank, according to the local government.

(Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Terje Solsvik, Alexandra Hudson)