Death toll rises to three in east China boat sinking

HANGZHOU, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers have recovered another two bodies in the East China Sea, bringing the death toll from a boat sinking of Friday to three, with one person still missing.

A body was found at 11:55 p.m. on Saturday and another at 9:07 a.m. on Sunday. The identities of the bodies have not been confirmed. Local fishery and border defense authorities would continue the search for the missing, said a maritime official of Taizhou city, Zhejiang Province.

Rescuers recovered the first body on Saturday morning. The man was confirmed to be Zhang Yunliang, a staff member of Taizhou Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

When the vessel sank on the way to Yijiangshan islands at about5 p.m., 12 people were on board, including nine who went angling on Friday, according to the captain who was later saved. Eight people were rescued afterwards and taken to the hospital.

The boat was unregistered and the boat owner was held in custody, said Chen Guozhao, deputy head of Jiaojiang District Public Security Bureau.

It is the second vessel to sink in the East China Sea in two days.

Twelve seamen are missing after a tornado capsized their fishing boat, throwing 15 crew members into the water near Zhejiang's Zhoushan City on Wednesday.

Three seamen were rescued, and more than 30 rescue boats and a helicopter are searching for the others.