Six people have died and 10 others remain missing after two
overloaded boats capsized and sank on Wednesday morning in a river
in Heihe, a city in northeast China's Heilongjiang
Province, a local official said.
Local police received a report at 5:48 AM Wednesday that two
fishing boats with 33 people onboard had capsized in the Aihui
District section of the Heilongjiang River, a river that divides
China and Russia.
More than 500 rescuers, including local officials and policemen,
rushed to the scene after receiving the report.
Survivors said the boats were destined for a small island, in
Chinese waters, for farming work.
Police said the two boats each could only carry 10 people at the
most. Further, they had not received landing approval from local
police.
China's military and foreign affairs departments have notified
their Russian counterparts of the accident and have asked for help
in the search for those still missing.?
(Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn June 23, 2005)