(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-10-29 10:53

JINAN -- The Shandong provincial maritime bureau has just verified that 21 of the total of 23 crew on aboard a cargo ship capsized in the sea near East China's Shandong Province Sunday afternoon were rescued.

The ship registered in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) went under the sea four nautical miles from the shore between Yantai and Weihai of Shandong, at around 5:00 p.m. Sunday.

The rescue operation is still going on for the two missing sailors. The rescued crew have been sent to local hospital.

Dozens of civil ships and boats as well as five military vessels sent by the Shandong Military Area Command of the People's Liberation Army and the Beihai (North China Sea) Fleet are searching at the accident site under the coordination by the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center.

The provincial maritime bureau estimated about 2,000 Chinese civilians and 500 armymen have rushed to the rescue.

The accident occurred around 4:00 pm Sunday when strong winds were sweeping the sea area. Witnesses on passing ships reported the accident to the bureau immediately.