International rescuers on Wednesday continued searching for six sailors who have gone missing after their freighter from the Republic of Korea (ROK) sank off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Monday, Xinhua reported.
The accident happened at about 6:40 p.m. Monday near Yongxing Island when the Bright Ruby sank with 21 crew members aboard, including nine ROK nationals and 12 Myanmar nationals, a spokesman with the Hainan Provincial Maritime Search and Rescue Center said.
Fifteen sailors have been rescued so far, while six others -- three Koreans and three Burmese were still missing, the spokesman said.
Currently, eight rescue boats, including two dispatched by Chinese authorities, are searching the sea area for the missing sailors, he said.
The cargo ship, which was carrying 16,000 tonnes of rolled steel, was en route to the city of Rizhao in east China's Shandong Province from Singapore when the accident happened, he added.
The accident happened at about 6:40 p.m. Monday near Yongxing Island when the Bright Ruby sank with 21 crew members aboard, including nine ROK nationals and 12 Myanmar nationals, a spokesman with the Hainan Provincial Maritime Search and Rescue Center said.
Fifteen sailors have been rescued so far, while six others -- three Koreans and three Burmese were still missing, the spokesman said.
Currently, eight rescue boats, including two dispatched by Chinese authorities, are searching the sea area for the missing sailors, he said.
The cargo ship, which was carrying 16,000 tonnes of rolled steel, was en route to the city of Rizhao in east China's Shandong Province from Singapore when the accident happened, he added.