A ferry carrying passengers and two trucks loaded with ore sank on Wednesday afternoon in Pinglu County, north China's Shanxi Province.

Three people have been rescued but four were still missing according to the most recent reports.

Eyewitnesses said that the ship had barely left Qianyao dock on the Yellow River when it began to sink at around 4:00 PM. It was out of sight in a very short time.

Local government agencies rushed to the scene to begin rescue operations.

The accident is still under investigation, but local police speculated that overloading and improper handling may turn out to have been the cause.

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2005)