Eight seamen were rescued and 17 others are missing after a cargo ship of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) sank on Tuesday afternoon off northeast China, local maritime sources said.

 

The "Ryong Ak San", belonging to the DPRK fishery authorities, sank near Laotiekou, Lushunkou District of Dalian, Liaoning Province, said the maritime rescue center of Dalian.

 

It was on its way to the Jingtang Port in north China's Tianjin from the DPRK's western port city of Haeju with 2,900 tons of ore and 25 crew members aboard when it sank, it said. The vessel's loading capacity is 3,000 tons.

 

"Five of those rescued are to stay in a hotel in Dalian," said Guo Zirui, deputy director of the Liaoning Maritime Affairs Bureau.

 

Guo gave each of the five, who were flown to Dalian by rescue helicopter, new quilts and clothes at the door of the hotel.

 

Another two, who are en route to Dalian by ship, will stay in the same hotel.

 

The other rescued seaman went to Tianjin aboard a rescue vessel.

 

The Dalian maritime rescue center received a report from another vessel, the "Guangyuan", at 3:08 PM saying a ship had suddenly sunk one nautical mile ahead of it.

 

"An emergency operation was immediately launched to search for the crew of the ship," said He Jianzhong, director of the center.

 

A helicopter from the Beihai No. 1 Air Rescue Squad in Dalian and rescue vessels from the Beihai Rescue Bureau were at the site, said He, also vice mayor of Dalian.

 

The squad and the bureau are both under the Ministry of Communications.

 

Hou Jinghua, director of the Liaoning Maritime Affairs Bureau, went to the center to oversee rescue operations.

 

Li Shenglin, Minister of Communications, has instructed rescue workers to make every effort to search for the missing seamen. Contact with the DPRK via diplomatic channels is also underway.

 

The search for the missing seamen is still ongoing. "But strong winds at the site have hindered rescue efforts," said He.

 

The cause of the accident is still unclear.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2006)