A fishing boat from the Chinese mainland sank off the coast of Macao Monday morning, and all four of the crew members on board have been rescued, according to a statement released by Macao's Maritime Administration.

The Administration said in the statement that the accident occurred in the morning on waters 3,704 meters off the south end of the Macao International Airport's runway, and the submerged vessel, measuring 13 meters long, was registered in the Chinese mainland.

The four crew members, all males from the mainland, on board the vessel were rescued by a nearby tug boat, and they were later sent back to the mainland, according to the press release.

The Administration will later start salvaging the sunken vessel.

(Xinhua News Agency, April 1, 2008)