Two people were killed as a wooden fishing ship capsized Friday off the coast of east China's Shandong Province, local maritime authorities said.

The boat, Lulongyu 4716, overturned in the sea area of Longkou City at 5:28 a.m.. Six sailors onboard fell into water, according to the Beihai Rescue Bureau. Two of them were soon saved by nearby fishing boats and four were missing.

Rescuers arriving onboard a helicopter managed to drill a hole into the bottom of the ship and dragged two trapped sailors into safety nearly six hours later and then found two bodies underwater.

The rescue bureau said they were investigating the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2009)