Twelve crew members were missing on Monday after two cargo ships collided off China's southern coast, state media reported citing local search-and-rescue authorities.
A ship carrying 5,000 tons of sand sank in waters off the southern province of Guangdong after striking another tanker carrying more than 5,000 tons of steel, Xinhua News Agency said.
Two crew members were rescued from the sunken ship but 12 others remain missing, according to the report. Eleven people were also rescued from the steel carrier.
Thirty rescue ships, one helicopter and other vessels have been deployed to the area to search for survivors.
An investigation into the cause of the collision is reportedly underway.