BEIJING
Ten fishermen are missing after a Chinese vessel collided with an unidentified cargo ship near South Korea's southern island of Jeju, local media reported Friday.
Of the 13 crewmembers on board the sunken fishing boat, three were rescued by other vessels near the accident site, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported, citing South Korea’s Yonhap.
However, 10 others -- including a captain and a chief engineer – have yet to be found.
The 138-ton boat sank at around 8 p.m. (1100GMT) Thursday after the cargo ship rammed into its flank approximately 99 miles (160 kilometers) south of an uninhabited island near Jeju.
Chinese maritime authorities informed South Korea of the accident.
In response, South Korea deployed two patrol ships to search for the missing fishermen, while China sent two rescue vessels to the area Thursday.
Xinhua quoted a rescued fisherman as saying the fishing boat was dropping an anchor in rough weather conditions at the time of the collision.
It had been holding 10 tons of fish and 30,000 liters of oil.
