At least 10 Chinese shellfish gatherers died and several more were missing after they were caught by a fast-rising tide on a beach in northwest England, the British coastguard said on Friday.  

A group of around 25 cockle gatherers were cut off from the shore in Morecombe Bay, Lancashire, late on Thursday. Seven were rescued or managed to wade or swim ashore.

"At least 10 have died and there are possibly more dead," said coastguard spokesman Martin Collins.

Police coordinating the rescue said military helicopters and the coastguard began searching for the group when the alarm was raised after dark on Thursday.

Locals often go out onto the beach to harvest cockles, which live just below the surface of muddy sand and are eaten after being shelled and cooked.

But the tides in the bay are dangerous for those who are not used to them, especially at night. The incoming sea can sometimes surround the unwary, quickly cutting them off from shore.

Local media reported the Chinese cockle gatherers may be migrant workers.

(China Daily February 6, 2004)