Eighteen sailors trapped underwater feared dead

HONG KONG: Eighteen Ukrainian sailors were feared dead yesterday after they were trapped underwater in their capsized tugboat in Hong Kong for nearly two full days amid strong currents, rescue officials said.

The sailors would have survived 12 hours after the accident late on Saturday based on the current water temperature of 17 C at the 37-m depth of the wreck, Roger Tupper, director of Hong Kong's marine department, told reporters yesterday.

He said rescue divers continuously knocked on the hull of the ship but the sailors did not signal back.