Four members of the crew are missing from a sand carrier identified as Guoliang 399 that sank on Sunday, November 22nd after it collided with a product tanker Zi Yun 1 off Zhoushan, Ningbo, East China Sea.
There were a total of eight crew members on board the ship, operated by Wuhu Guoliang Shipping, when the collision took place. The ship started to take in water having sustained a major hole on its starboard which eventually led to the capsizing of the vessel. Four people have been rescued by passing fishing vessels and brought to safety but are reported to have sustained grave injuries by local media .
The search and rescue operation for the remaining crew is underway.
The product tanker has been detained for further investigation, according to local authorities. The tanker was unladen, initial reports said.
Until now, there has been no reported pollution, however the authorities have dispatched anti-pollution vessels to the site to monitor further developments.
World Maritime News Staff; Image: msa.gov.