Fishing Boat, Cargo Ship Collision Leaves 17 Missing: Chinese State Media

The fishing boat had 19 people on board when the incident happened.

Representational Image. Credit: Reuters

Shanghai: Seventeen people are missing after a Chinese fishing boat collided with a foreign cargo ship and sank in the East China Sea on May 7, the state-owned China News Service reported, citing the country's coastguard fleet.

The fishing boat, Lu Rong Yu 58398, had 19 people on board when the incident happened at 3.40 am. Beijing time (1940 GMT), it said, adding that two people had been rescued by passing fishing boats and a search and rescue operation was still underway.

It did not specify where in the East China Sea the collision happened, or which country the foreign cargo ship belonged to.

The East China Sea is home to a group of uninhabited islets claimed by both China and Japan and previous incidents involving Chinese fishing boats and Japanese patrol ships have stoked diplomatic rows.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.