8 missing after boat, container ship collide near southern Chinese province

ANKARA

At least eight people on board a fishing boat went missing after it collided with a Panamanian container ship near the southern Chinese province of Hainan, according to state media on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at 12:30 a.m. local time when the ill-fated boat and the Panamanian container ship SITC DANANG collided, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing the provincial maritime search and rescue center.

The boat sank after the collision that took place 22 nautical miles southwest of Yinggehai town in Ledong.

Rescuers, backed by ships and aircraft, continued to search for the missing people.

An investigation into the cause of the collision has been launched.