At least 28 sailors had been rescued while three remained
missing Friday night as tropical storm Bilis continued to churn up
heavy waves along China's coast.
The missing seamen were on a Russian ship that foundered in the
sea near Zhejiang Province, the Shanghai-based Donghai Salvage
Bureau said Friday. Eight of their shipmates were saved by passing
ships.
On Friday morning, the Chinese sea rescue authority saved 15
sailors from Germany, Poland and the Philippines who were on a
Cyprus-registered vessel, the Dollart Gas, that was carrying
hazardous chemicals.
The ship's engines failed, causing the vessel to founder in the
Taiwan Strait near Fujian Province in swells that were 5 to 6
meters high.
After a 20-hour struggle in bad weather, the rescuers managed to
tie onto the craft and tow it near Taiwan's coast, said salvage
bureau officials.
In an earlier incident, five Chinese sailors were saved after
their vessel was towed out of trouble by a rescue ship near Fujian
Province Thursday morning.
(Shanghai Daily July 15, 2006)