East China Sea Accident: Chinese Fishing Boat Collides With Foreign Cargo Ship, 17 People Missing

A Chinese fishing boat rammed on to a foreign cargo ship, and sank in the East China Sea on Saturday, leaving 17 people missing, state media reported. The exact location of the accident is still unknown.

China’s coast guard fleet told the state-owned China News Service that the boat, Lu Rong Yu 58398, was carrying 19 people, of which two have been rescued, Reuters reported. The incident occurred at 3.40 a.m. Beijing time (3:40 p.m. ET).

A search and rescue operation is underway while the details of the foreign cargo ship were not immediately available.

The East China houses a group of uninhabited islets claimed by both China and Japan. Previous instances involving the two countries’ fishing boats and Japanese patrol ships have sparked diplomatic brawl.