The accident took place at 4:30 am when a Nanjing-registered vessel carrying 950 tons of solvent struck a reef, leaking all of its cargo into the sea.

The 2,000-ton capacity vessel "Ningqing Oil 04" exploded and fire broke out immediately when one of crew set off signal flares to attract help.

All 16 crew members on board jumped into the sea when the vessel broke into two sections and sank.

Eight local fish boats immediately rushed to the scene to rescue the victims.

Eight seriously burned crew members were taken to hospitals in Nan'ao County for emergency treatment.

According to an official from the Shantou Municipal Marine Department, the two missing men are feared dead because of the intense fire on the vessel and the stormy sea conditions.

The Guangdong Marine Bureau has also sent rescue boats to help search for the missing crew members and to attempt to contain the spread of the spilled solvent, the official said.

No dead fish or other marine creatures have been found in the waters near the accident site, an official who refused to be named said.

The bureau has also asked marine departments in Shantou and Nan'ao to continue their efforts to help supervise the clean-up and search for the missing crew members.

The cause of the accident appears to have been the strong winds and high waves in the area, according to the official.

The vessel which was on a voyage from Nanjing, the capital of East China's Jiangsu Province, to Guangzhou hit the reef when it was heading for a local typhoon shelter.

The 100-meter-long vessel was owned by Nanjing-based Nanjing Qingjiang Oil Transportation Co. Ltd.

Investigation of the accident is still going on.

(China Daily September 12, 2002)