Collision: Two Dead, Seventeen Missing

Seventeen people are missing after a Chinese fishing boat collided with a Maltese bulk carrier and sank in the East China Sea on Saturday. Two of the fishermen were rescued by nearby fishing boats, but died later at hospital.

The fishing boat, Lu Rong Yu 58398, had 19 people on board when the incident happened at 3.40 a.m. Beijing time (1940 GMT) about 80 nautical miles from Ningbo. 

China National Radio said that it had hit Maltese cargo ship 225 meter (740 foot) Catalina, a 40,485 ton bulk carrier, which has continued sailing.

A search and rescue operation is underway, but it has been hampered by low visibility and strong winds. Naval vessels, rescue ships and helicopters have been deployed as well as fishing boats in the area. 

Meanwhile, the search and rescue efforts are underway in Dalian received after two incidents were reports on Saturday. A fishing boat with six on board is missing and another, with eight on board that has been missing for over 50 hours was found capsized in waters east of the city.