Thirty sailors have been saved but some 50 were still missing
after a Philippine fishing boat capsized in the South China Sea on
Thursday morning, according to the China Maritime Search and Rescue
Center.
The Philippine craft, numbered "805900", was carrying some 80
sailors when it sank near Zhongye Reef in the Nansha Islands while
taking shelter from strong winds, the center said late on
Thursday.
The center did not provide a specific time of the accident but
said it received a report of the accident at 11:25 am on
Thursday.
Seven fishing boats from China's southern-most island province,
Hainan, that were in the vicinity picked up 30
Philippine sailors from the water, the center stated.
Rescue ships under the Ministry of Communications (MOC) were
rushing to the scene and the center also ordered passing ships of
the China Shipping (Group) Company and China Ocean Shipping (Group)
Company to help in the search for the missing seamen.
The MOC has ordered the Hainan Maritime Search and Rescue Center
to map out and coordinate rescue efforts and confirm the exact
number of sailors who were aboard the Philippine ship.
Rescue work was still going on. Wind speed at the accident site
was recorded at around 20 meters per second.
(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2007)