Tuesday December 26, 2006

North Korean cargo ship sinks off north China coast, 17 missing

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese rescuers were using boats and helicopters to search for 17 sailors missing at sea after a North Korean cargo ship sank off China's northern coast on Tuesday, state media said.

The official Xinhua News Agency said eight of the 25-member crew had been rescued after the ship sank near the port city of Dalian on Tuesday afternoon.

The brief report said the boat sank near Laotieshan, a neighborhood in Dalian's Lushun district. It did not say what caused the boat to sink or give any other details.

An official with the Liaoning Maritime Authority who refused to give his name said earlier that 12 sailors were missing and that the boat had a 20-person crew.-AP