Six crew members are missing after a ship capsized in East Dongting Lake in central China's Hunan Province Friday, the local maritime bureau said Saturday.

The ship, loaded with 2,000 tonnes of sand and with seven crew, capsized at around 11 p.m. near Lujiao Township, Yueyang County.

The bureau attributed the accident to "equipment failure".

One crew member was rescued and taken to a hospital for emergency treatment. More than 40 rescuers are still searching for the remaining six missing.

The unregistered ship was from the southwestern province of Sichuan, according to the Yueyang County Maritime Bureau.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2009)