The chances of survival for ten seamen missing since two ships capsized off east China diminished on Monday as high winds hampered the search and rescue operation.

One of the capsized ships was located after a two-day search, involving 20 vessels organized by local maritime, fishing and public security authorities, Fujian provincial public security sources said.

But it is still unknown whether its eight missing crewmembers are trapped in the cabin or adrift on the sea because high seas prevented divers from searching the vessel.

The eight missing seamen and two from a fishing boat could have dehydrated or succumbed to the freezing temperatures, and their chances of survival were slim, said a rescue official.

The fishing boat with three aboard capsized in high seas around 5:50 PM on Friday off Pinghai, a coastal city of Putian in Fujian Province, according to Putian public security sources.

One of the fishermen was rescued by local residents and police, but the other two are still missing.

At about 7:30 PM on Friday, a cargo ship loaded with sand anchored at sea en route to Xiuyu port in Putian. The ship sprung a leak in the early hours of Saturday morning and sank.

Three of the 11 sailors on board, who were sleeping when the ship began to capsize, managed to survive on a life raft, but the others are still missing.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2007)