Eighteen Chinese fishermen were saved by Malaysian police, after their fishing vessel capsized on Thursday morning in the South China Sea, Hainan Province's foreign affairs bureau revealed on Saturday.

As they sailed off-shore from the Nansha Islands, their ship broke down at 6:30 AM and radio contact was lost with the local public security department.

The mariners put two life boats to sea and made their escape safely before being picked up by Malaysian police at 11:00 AM, revealed the embassy of China in Malaysia.

The 18 fishermen are currently in the care of the Malaysian immigration bureau and will soon be sent to China, stated embassy sources.

The crew mainly hailed from the town of Tanmen near Hainan's Qionghai City.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2007)