The ship suddenly broke down at 6:30 a.m. Thursday when it was sailing in the Nansha offshore area. They shortly lost contact with local public security department.

All the 18 fishermen managed to flee the sinking ship and escaped in two life boats. They were rescued by Malaysian police at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, according to information from the embassy of China in Malaysia.

The 18 Chinese people will be consigned to Malaysian immigration bureau and then sent to China, said the embassy sources.

Most of the crew are villagers from the Tanmen Town in Qionghai City of China's southernmost island province of Hainan.