Oil tanker, cargo ship collide leaving six missing off east China coast

Six people are missing after a French oil tanker collided with a Chinese cargo vessel off the coast of east China's Zhejiang Province Tuesday, local authorities said.

All seven people aboard the Chinese vessel fell into water after the collision that took place at about 11:10 a.m. near Ningbo City, and one was rescued, a spokesman with the Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration said.

No oil spill was reported as the French vessel "FLANDRE" was not carrying oil when the accident happened. The vessel was traveling to the United Arab Emirates from a harbor in Ningbo, the spokesman said.

Rescuers are searching the area for the missing person, he said.

Local maritime affairs authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, he added.

Source: Xinhua