Eight sailors were saved and one were still missing after a cargo ship capsized on early Tuesday morning off the coast of east China's Fujian Province, said the local maritime bureau.

The accident occurred at about 5:20 AM in the seawater near Jiangjun'ao of Zhangpu County when the ship Jinhaida-8 capsized after colliding with another cargo ship "Zhedongji-139".

Xiamen maritime rescue center at 6 AM received the accident's report which said the sailors had jumped into sea waters after the ship's capsize. The center then joined in the rescue operation launched by East China Sea Rescue Base which had sent a rescue ship and a helicopter to the spot.

Eight sailors were saved while one still missing by Tuesday evening.

The missing sailor might have been trapped in the ship's cabin or have been killed when the collision happened, said the sailors who have been taken to safety.

Jinhaida-8, registered in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, was on the way from Nanjing of Jiangsu Province to Huangpu of Guangdong Province, while Zhedongji-139, registered in Wenzhou, were on the way from Qinzhou of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to Jiaojiang of Zhejiang Province as the accident happened.

Investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. 

(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2006)