MANILA - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday night confirmed that a second Filipino survivor was found from the cattle ship that capsized off Japan.

The Filipino crew member of the Panamanian-flagged vessel Gulf Livestock 1 was found alone in a life raft, the agency said in statement.

"He is conscious and able to walk," the DFA said, adding they are withholding the name of the survivor without prior consent.

The 30-year-old Filipino was spotted several kilometers from Kodakarajima, a remote island in southwestern Japan.

The man, identified as a deckhand, was reached by a patrol boat and was alone in the raft, the coast guard said.

The DFA also said another crew member recovered at sea early Friday "has been confirmed as deceased by a doctor."

"Considering the condition of the remains, a confirmation on the identity could not be made," it said.

The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), the agency said, will continue to coordinate the situation with the Japanese Coast Guard, ship owner and the manning agency to extend support for the Filipino sailors and their families.

• Filipino survivor recounts how cattle ship capsized off Japan; dozens of seafarers still missing

The first survivor from the ship, a 45-year-old Filipino chief officer, told rescuers he put on a life jacket and jumped into the sea after a warning announcement on board.

He said one of the boat's engines stalled and the vessel was overturned by a powerful wave before eventually sinking.

Precisely when and where it sank remained unclear.

The Gulf Livestock 1 crew was made up of 39 Filipinos, 2 New Zealanders and 2 Australians. The boat was traveling from Napier in New Zealand to the Chinese port of Tangshan.

It issued a distress call early Wednesday as Typhoon Maysak passed through the area, setting off a desperate search for the 43 crew on board.

It had experienced engine problems before: a 2019 observer report by Australian authorities noted that the boat was forced to drift at sea for 25 hours after an issue with its main engine while en route to China. - With a report from Agence France-Presse