16 missing as ship sinks after collision
Seafarers feared dead after their cargo vessel sinks off Chinese coast

Chinese state press and agencies are reporting that 16 seamen are missing, feared dead, after their vessel, the GOLDEN ROSE sank following a collision with the Chinese container ship JIN SHENG.

The incident occurred off the port of Yantai in Shandong province on Saturday morning. Conditions were said to be foggy in the dark early hours.

The South Korean GOLDEN ROSE was a 3849 grt general cargo vessel and had been heading to Jeju in South Korea with a cargo of steel from Liaoning province. The 4822grt container ship JIN SHENG was heading to Dalian. No serious damage has been reported on the Chinese operated vessel.

Chinese press are also reporting that the JIN SHENG did not stop and kept on course to Dalian, where she arrived later on Saturday morning. Her crew and owners are said to be 'under investigation'

Hundreds of ships and aircraft are said to be scouring the area for survivors, but so far only two empty liferafts have been found. Debris has been confirmed as coming from the ROK vessel. On board were seven South Koreans, eight from Mayanmar and an Indonesian.

A South Korean newspaper fuelled suspicions that the Chinese ship had failed to report the collision in a timely manner and had fled the scene. Dong-A Ilbo also claims the Chinese authorities were only informed of the incident by the container vessel when she docked at Dalian some seven hours later.