By Mahmut Atanur
BEIJING (AA) – China has detained 20 crew members of a Maltese cargo ship after it crashed into a fishing boat in the East China Sea, leaving at least two dead and 17 missing, according to state media Monday.
State news agency Xinhua reported that border and maritime authorities were investigating the sailors after placing them in custody in the eastern port city of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province.
Ships belonging to China’s navy and maritime authorities have been searching the area’s waters since the collision early Saturday morning.
Li Qingyin, captain of a navy ship involved in the search, had told the agency that lifejackets and mattresses were seen floating around the crash site, but rescuers could not find any more members of the Chinese fishing crew.
