2 sailors missing, 7 rescued after boat sinks off China

TWO sailors were still missing and seven had been rescued as of 10 am today after their fishing boat sank off east China coast because of strong wind, local police said today.

The "Zhelingyu 23539" boat had nine sailors on board when it went down at 3 pm yesterday, 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers) east of Shanghai, said Zhang Xinqiang, a Wenling Municipal Public Security official.

The seven survivors are in stable condition. They are still on the rescue boats since the wind is still too strong for the boats to come back, Zhang said.

The missing sailors are two men aged 30 and 52.

The boat is registered in Wenling City, east China's Zhejiang Province.

Ten rescue boats are still searching for survivors. The rescue usually lasts for 72 hours after the accident, Zhang said.

The specific cause of the accident is still not known, police said.

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