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13 Vietnamese sailors rescued in East China Sea

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-25 08:16

BEIJING - Thirteen of 17 Vietnamese crew members were saved by a Chinese rescue team after strong winds sank the Vietnamese ship, the Hung Cuong 168, near Minjiang estuary in the East China Sea on Friday evening, the Chinese rescue center said.

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According to the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center (CMSRC), the Vietnamese ship, which was overloaded with 5,200 tonnes of stone materials, had an engine breakdown this afternoon and overturned at around 5:00 pm due to high winds, with 17 crew members falling into the sea.

Being alerted about the accident, China's East China Sea Rescue Bureau and the local maritime search and rescue center in the coastal Fujian province sent professional salvage vessels and helicopters to the scene where they rescued 13 sailors, as of 6:18 pm.

The rescue team is still searching for the remaining four sailors, according to the CMSRC.