Chinese divers on Monday evening recovered the body of one of the sixteen missing sailors from a Korean vessel which sank off the coast of Shandong a week ago after colliding with a container ship.

Divers from the Ministry of Communications' salvage arm entered the ship's cabin where they came upon a body during the day's ninth dive at around 6.30 pm., the salvage headquarters revealed. The Golden Rose's third life raft was also found tied to the ship, after the first two were found at sea.

The Golden Rose -- loaded with 5,900 tons of steel -- apparently sank around 3:00 a.m. last Saturday off the coast near Yantai after a collision with the Jinsheng in heavy fog. The Jinsheng is a Chinese container ship operated by Shandong Lufeng Shipping Company Ltd.

Among the 16 missing sailors, eight are ROK nationals, seven come from Myanmar and one from Indonesia. A massive search operation has been underway since the crash with over 300 Chinese ships and three aircraft, as well as 30 experienced divers, with Korea also sending rescue boats and coast guard vessels to aid the operation. 

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2007)