1 dead, 5 missing in Fujian ship collision

A body that was found in the Sandu Gulf in Ningde, Fujian province, on Sunday afternoon, was confirmed to be that of a sailor who went missing after a ship collision on Saturday.

Two cargo ships, the Fenghai 78 and Fengyuan 68, collided near the Jigong Mountain in the gulf at around 5:40 am on Saturday. The Fengyuan 68 sank, and all its crew members went overboard.

One person was rescued, but five others were missing, according to Ningde maritime safety authorities. The crew of the Fenghai 78 were safe, they said.

The Fengyuan 68 was loaded with 900 metric tons of raw steel and had seven crew members from Ningde, heading for Jieyang in Guangdong province. The Fenghai 78, a seafood cargo vessel, was empty but had 10 crew members aboard when the collision happened.

Rescue efforts are ongoing, as the site has been located.

Xu Wenjin and Tang Ziye contributed to this story.