One girl was rescued but four remain missing after they fell through thin ice on a river in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Wednesday, the local security authority said.

The five girls, all aged between four and five, were playing on an iced-over section of the Yellow River in Wuhai City when the ice suddenly broke.

Rescuers saved one girl but only found clothes and hats of the other four missing after a three-hour search along the lower reaches of the river.

"They had to give up their search because it was difficult to locate where to cut a hole in the vast area of ice," said Li Yuelong, head of the rescue team.

Li said the missing girls' chances of survival were slim.

The rescued girl said they were playing on the ice about eight meters from the riverbank when the accident happened.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2008)