Two cargo ships have collided off the coast of the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, causing one of the freighters to sink.
The Panama-flagged freighter ‘Oriental Sunrise’ sank at 7.35 pm local time yesterday when it collided with another Panama-flagged vessel, a cargo ship identified as the ‘Hamburg Bridge’.
Nine of the total 19 crew members aboard the sunk vessel were rescued, including three injured who were sent to hospital for treatment, a spokesman with the Shandong Maritime Safety Bureau said. All 19 were believed to be North Korean.
One of the three injured died after an emergency operation failed to save his life and two others are still in serious condition, the spokesman said.
A total of 13 ships have been dispatched to search for the 10 missing people. All the 19 crew members were believed to be nationals of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, he said.
Photo taken on Oct 29, 2011 shows the masts of the sunken ship Oriental Sunrise off Qingdao, east China's Shandong province.
Panama-flagged freighter Hamburg Bridge, now under investigation, docks at the port of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 29, 2011. The freighter collided with Oriental Sunrise, another Panama-flagged cargo ship, at 7:35 p.m. Friday Beijing Time (1135 GMT) in the nearby waters of Qingdao, causing the latter to sink. Of the 9 rescued crew members on board the Oriental Sunrise, 1 were found dead. Search is in progress for the rest 10, who are still missing.
Two coast guards conduct investigation on board the Panama-flagged freighter Hamburg Bridge which docks at the port of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 29, 2011. The freighter collided with Oriental Sunrise, another Panama-flagged cargo ship, at 7:35 p.m. Friday Beijing Time (1135 GMT) in the nearby waters of Qingdao, causing the latter to sink. Of the 9 rescued crew members on board the Oriental Sunrise, 1 were found dead. Search is in progress for the rest 10, who are still missing. (Xinhua/Yu Fangping)