One person has been rescued but four others remain missing after a sand-hauling boat sank on a lake in central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday, local authorities said.
Five people were aboard the boat, "Jinghai 1886," when the accident occurred around 7:20 a.m. on Dongting Lake, the country's second largest freshwater lake.
The boat, from Huanggang City, has a loading capacity of 2,400 tonnes.
An initial investigation indicated that strong gales might have led to its sinking.
Figures released by local meteorological authorities showed that the wind speed was up to 75 hours per hour at the time of the accident.
Rescuers are continuing their search efforts for the missing. An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.
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