Captain and Crew Held After Collision

China has detained the 20 crew members of the Maltese bulk carrier Catalina after it collided with a Chinese fishing boat, leaving two dead and 17 missing.

The fishing vessel, Lu Rong Yu 58398 capsized after it collided with the Catalina about 80 nautical miles from Ningbo.

Catalina’s captain and crew have been placed under investigation by border control and maritime authorities after being detained in Ningbo, China National Radio reported. Some local media have reported that the Catalina was initially suspected of attempting to flee the scene of the collision.

Two of the fishermen were rescued by nearby fishing boats, but died later at hospital. Meanwhile, the search for survivors continues. The rescuers, including six navy vessels, have been battling poor weather and low visibility conditions.

Rescuers are also trying to reach another 14 mariners from two fishing vessels that went missing in coastal waters near Haiyang Island, near Dalian, over the weekend.

In a separate incident on Saturday, two container ships, the Safmarine Maru and the Northern Jasper collided around 120 nautical miles east of Ningbo.