One sailor was missing and other 18 were injured after a collision between a Chinese ship and a vessel of the Republic of Korea off the shore of northeast China's Lushun City Thursday.

The Chinese ship Jingan No. 6 sank, and its 19 crew fell into the sea. One remained missing as other 18 people have been rescued, sources said.

Two Chinese warships and two fishing boats on near waters rescued 18 sailors after receiving the report, according to local sources.

Of the 18 rescued crew, six are in serious conditions and were sent by a Chinese fishing boat to the nearest hospital in Lushun, a port in northeast China's Liaoning Province, according to sources with the Chinese navy.

The rest 12 sailors with slight wounds were sent by a naval vessel to a hospital in Dalian.

The collision happened at around 6:00 am Thursday morning. The ROK ship was said to carried liquefied gas and had no report of injury yet.

The accident occurred at 38.21 degrees of north latitude and 121.23 degrees of east longitude, around the water area off Laotieshan, the cape of the Liaodong Peninsula, according to local authorities.

(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2004)