Two shipmen were missing after their vessel capsized Sunday near a lake in central China's Hunan Province.

The Changfu cargo ship, loaded with some 3,000 tons of sand, lost control in swift current after it sailed to the Sanjiang River area near the Dongting Lake and capsized at about 9 AM Sunday.

Five of the seven shipmen onboard were rescued but two others remained missing.

The ship, with a loading capacity of 3,000 tons, belongs to a water shipping company based in Yueyang City of the province.

Rescuers have fastened the capsized ship for further salvage when the water flow slows down.

The local maritime authority is investigating the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2007)