10 missing after fishing boat collides with cargo ship near South Korea

SEOU (AFP) - Ten crew members are missing after a Chinese fishing boat collided with an unidentified cargo ship off South Korea's southern island of Jeju, coast guards said on Friday.

The cargo ship fled the scene as the 138-tonne Chinese boat sank in the open sea, some 160 km off the resort island.

"Ten people are missing and three others were rescued," a Jeju coast guard spokesman told AFP.

Three South Korean rescue boats and two Chinese rescue boats were searching the area, backed by six Chinese fishing boats, he said.

The collision took place late Thursday as the Chinese fishing boat was anchoring because of rough seas.

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