Authorities in China have reported that two people are unaccounted for after a cargo vessel capsized in bad weather in the Gulf of Tonkin off Hainan Island late last week.
Maritime officials said that the Chinese-flagged bulk carrier Changxin 198 encountered rough seas that caused her cargo to shift during transit at around 22:00 local time on Saturday, January 31.
The ship then developed a heavy list and later capsized. All six of her crew were thrown overboard.
A rescue boat sailed out of the Port of Basuo in Hainan province and arrived in the area a little over an hour later. The crew then pulled four survivors out of the water amid strong winds and 2.5-metre-high waves.
The last two crewmembers of Changxin 198 have not been found, though the search effort to attempt to locate them is still ongoing with the China Coast Guard serving as the lead agency.
The survivors were finally brought ashore by 17:00 on Sunday, February 1.
Authorities have meanwhile advised vessels passing through the waters off Hainan to be on the lookout for the two missing sailors.