WELLINGTON - All 20 people on board a supply ship that sank off the Marshall Islands on Saturday have been rescued after spending more than 12 hours drifting in heavy seas, New Zealand media reported on Monday.

The 28-meter Jeljelet Ae was about 130 km from the capital Majuro when it went down.

The crew and passengers were found in a life raft in the late afternoon as light was fading, Radio New Zealand International reported.

An emergency locator beacon directed Marshall Islands and US Coast Guard search and rescue teams to the area.

The vessel, laden with heavy equipment and construction materials for a school being built on Likiep Atoll, went down quickly after the crew sent a radio message that they were in trouble about eight hours into the 173-nautical-mile, open-ocean journey.

The cause of the sinking was not immediately known, but Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation officials have warned the four vessels were overdue for maintenance.