Four people were confirmed dead and two others were still missing after their wooden boat capsized in the Bohai Sea early Monday morning, rescuers said on Tuesday.

Search for the two missing is continuing.

The 10-meter-long boat, with six people aboard, capsized at the wee hours Monday in the sea area off Shanhai Pass scenic zone in Qinhuangdao City, north China's Hebei Province.

One of six people called family members at about 3:00 AM, saying "The boat is capsizing" and no more information was heard since then, rescuers quoted a family member of the caller as saying.

Four of the six people are villagers of Huangzhuang Village in the economic development zone of Qinhuangdao City, and two others respectively came from Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County and Shanhai Pass district of Qinhuangdao City.

Departments concerned are investigating why these people sailed late at night and cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2006)