Rescuers have found a body from a cargo ship that capsized and sank off Shanghai Tuesday night, the city's maritime search and rescue center said Thursday.

The identity of the body has not yet been confirmed, and rescuers are still searching for 9 missing sailors.

The "Changping," loaded with 5,000 tonnes of steel, collided with another freighter before sinking near the Yangtze River estuary, according to the local water traffic management center.

Thirteen sailors were on board. Three have been rescued.

Li Weilin, a survivor, told Xinhua that the collision occurred during a shift change and the ship sank in just three to four minutes.

Li and another crew member screamed for help and were rescued by a nearby boat. Another survivor, Jiang Yuzhao, successfully jumped onto another boat.

Rescue divers found a four-square-meter hole in the hull, which is believed to have directly caused the ship to sink.

But rescuers have been hindered by large waves, wind and low underwater visibility.

The city's maritime search and rescue center has dispatched seven patrol vessels, three salvage ships and five other boats to join the search.

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