Xinhua News Agency, Fuzhou, February 18 (reported by Hu Su) At around 3 a.m. on the 18th, the Fujian Provincial Maritime Search and Rescue Center received an emergency alarm from a vessel: the bulk carrier "Xinyuan Shun 6" registered in Beihai, Guangxi, encountered cargo shifting near Chongwu, Quanzhou, causing severe right-side inclination of the ship, water ingress into the engine room, and subsequently sank, leaving all 11 crew members overboard. By 1 p.m. on the 18th, one person had been rescued, eight confirmed dead, and two others remained missing. Today's Featured Recommendations: Photo Series - Spring Snow Hits Bincheng; Snowflakes Dance Across the Shandong Peninsula; Road Icing in Weihai; Forest Fire in Yuxi, Yunnan Under Basic Control; Buenos Aires Issues High Temperature "Orange Alert"; Comprehensive Guide to Japan Cherry Blossom Tours 2012.
According to the Fujian Provincial Maritime Search and Rescue Center, the vessel belongs to Beihai Huayang Shipping Co., Ltd. in Guangxi. It was carrying more than 5,000 tons of clay en route from Maoming, Guangdong to Weifang, Shandong when the incident occurred.
After receiving the distress report, the Fujian Provincial Maritime Search and Rescue Center immediately activated its search and rescue contingency plan, coordinating with the Ministry of Transport's Donghai Second Rescue Flight Team to dispatch two rescue helicopters, as well as maritime patrol vessels, specialized rescue ships, fishing boats, and passing vessels, totaling 11 ships, for full-scale rescue operations in the accident area.
By 1 p.m. on the 18th, nine of the 11 crew members who fell overboard were recovered, one of whom survived while eight were confirmed dead upon rescue. The surviving crew member has been sent to the hospital for treatment. Currently, the wind force in the accident area is at level 8 with huge waves, and weather forecasts indicate that the search and rescue operation for the remaining two missing crew members is still ongoing.
To prevent possible sea pollution caused by the sinking of the "Xinyuan Shun 6," the Fujian Provincial Maritime Search and Rescue Center, while organizing the search for missing crew members, coordinated professional forces to enhance monitoring of oil spills on the sea surface in the accident area.
It is understood that the China Maritime Safety Administration, along with the maritime bureaus of Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi, will form a joint investigation team to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.