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Search for missing Chinese sailors under way

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-11 17:08

BEIJING - A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday that search and rescue efforts for over 20 Chinese sailors who went missing off Okinawa, Japan, are still under way.

Related readings:  Chinese ship missing off Okinawa, survivors found

Japan's Coast Guard have found three survivors and the fourth in critical condition from a cargo ship that went missing early Wednesday south of Iriomote island in Okinawa Prefecture, an official from Chinese embassy in Tokyo said Thursday.

The Panama-registered ship "Nasco Diamondo", as well as the rest of the 25 crew aboard, who are all Chinese nationals, have not been located by Japan's Coast Guard.

"China attaches great importance to the matter, and is working with relevant countries to carry out search and rescue," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei at a regular briefing in Beijing.

"The search is still under way," said Hong.