Nineteen Missing As Ship, Fishing Boat Collide

Nineteen people were missing after their fishing boat collided with a Liberian-registered ship in the East China Sea, state press reported. The accident occurred Saturday off the coast of China's Zhejiang province, Xinhua news agency said, citing the local Maritime Affairs Bureau. One person was rescued after the local fishing boat sank, it said. The Liberian vessel, the Taisu 10, was heading from South Korea to Taiwan, the report said, indicating the ship could be owned by a Taiwanese company.No other details of the collision were provided, including whether the Liberian vessel suffered any damage or casualties on board. By early yesterday, a helicopter and more than 30 rescue and fishing boats were searching for survivors, but cold water temperatures would make survival difficult, the report said. The accident occurred nine days after a Zhejiang fishing boat bound for Shanghai sank in the East China Sea, leaving 16 people missing despite an extensive search for survivors.