The Shandong provincial maritime bureau has just verified that 21 of the total 23 crew members were rescued after their cargo ship capsized in the sea near east China's Shandong Province Sunday afternoon.

The ship registered in North Korea sank four nautical miles from the shore between Yantai and Weihai of Shandong, at around 5:00 PM Sunday.

The rescue operation is ongoing for the two missing sailors, while the rescued sailors have been sent to a local hospital.

Dozens of civil ships and boats as well as five military vessels sent by the Shandong Military Area Command of the People's Liberation Army and the Beihai (North China Sea) Fleet are searching the accident site under the supervision of the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center.

The provincial maritime bureau estimated that 2,000 Chinese civilians and 500 army workers have rushed to the rescue.

The accident occurred around 4:00 PM Sunday when strong winds were reported in the area. Witnesses on passing ships reported the incident to the proper authorities immediately.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2007)