Death toll rises in south China sea boat wreck

The death toll rises to two after a fishing boat sank on sea off southernmost China's Hainan Province on Monday, local authorities said on Tuesday.

According to the maritime affairs bureau of Wenchang City of Hainan, one more body was found by rescuers. The incident has led to two deaths so far and another three are still missing.

At around 2:47 a.m. on Monday, search and rescue center from Qinglan received a call that a fishing boat with 100 tonnes of gross tonnage had its engine room on fire, the bureau said.

The boat belonging to a sea fishing firm in Shenzhen City went offshore from Qinglan Port on Friday and started to return to the port from 10 p.m. Sunday.

All 16 people on board abandoned the ship and jumped to the sea. Twelve of them were saved by crew on Italian cruise ship Costa Victoria that was passing through the sea area 36 nautical miles east of Qinglan Port in Wenchang City in Hainan. But one of them died later.

Further investigation is under way.