Chinese rescuers have found no traces of the six sailors who were reported missing after two ships collided on Saturday in the Bohai Sea off Huludao, northeastern Liaoning Province, local maritime authorities said on Sunday.

The search which began on Saturday will continue on Sunday, said an official from the Maritime Search and Salvage Center of Liaoning Province, adding that cleaning up of the fuel oil leaked from the sunken ships will be carried out simultaneously.

But experts of maritime salvage said that the chance is slim for the six missing to survive.

The two vessels, used for carrying sand, collided and capsized at about 8:00 a.m. off the coast of the Huludao City, and altogether 22 sailors fell into the Bohai Sea, said a spokesman with the Liaoning Maritime Affairs Bureau. Sixteen sailors have been rescued.

Cause of the collision is being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2007)