A cargo boat carrying sand sank due to its engine malfunction, but all 16 people on board got rescued, the Ministry of Communications announced on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, the cargo boat, carrying 830 tons of sand, met with its mishap in the offshore area 10 sea miles from Lianyungang, a port in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The East Sea Rescue Bureau under the Ministry of Communications immediately sent a rescue ship to the spot after receiving SOS signal, and successfully rescued the 16 people before the boat sank.

Due to the recent bad weather in East Sea, rescue departments of the Ministry of Communications have sent three ships, one airplane and rescued 36 people so far, the ministry said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2005)