Helicopters have taken 64 fishermen, who were trapped on Thursday morning off the coast near northeast China's port city of Dalian, to hospital and three others are missing.

Previous reports said 64 fishermen were in danger after their boats were stranded 300 meters off the Dawangjia Island in the Yellow Sea in northeastern Liaoning Province.

However, the provincial marine rescue center later revised the number of the total trapped to 67, saying three other fishermen were missing after a fishing boat capsized.

The rescued fishermen were having physical examinations and a few of them suffered slight injuries, according to the center.

The fishermen, on more than 20 vessels, were trapped by strong gales and stormy waves at around 11:20 a.m.

Two helicopters from the air rescue squadron under the Ministry of Transport at Dalian and rescue boats from the city's marine affairs center are searching for the missing.

The gales, moving at about 60 kilometers per hour, built up waves about five meters high, which hampered the rescue work, said Ren Anning, an official with the air rescue squadron.

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2008)