Chinese netizens have expressed worry for 14 missing crew members as of 6:00 pm Thursday, who disappeared after two ships collided near the Yangtze River Estuary in Shanghai during the early hours of the morning that day.

The rescue operation for the missing people is still ongoing, the Shanghai maritime safety authority said on Thursday.

The collision, which involved a gravel boat and a petrol tanker with 3,000 tons of gasoline, took place 1.5 nautical miles (2.78 kilometers) southeast of the lightvessel in Yangtze River at 3:39 am on Thursday. 

The accident sank the gravel boat and resulted in a fire on the deck of the petrol tanker, causing trouble for the 17 people on board, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration said.

Three people have been saved as of 8:00 am Thursday, with one sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. The local authority is still searching for the remaining 14 crew members with the salvage/rescue vessel DONG HAI JIU 102 while ensuring smooth navigation for the ships in the nearby area.

The fire, caused by the collision, has been mostly put out as of 5:00 pm on Thursday.

The condition of the 14 missing crew members has become a source of rising anxiety for Chinese netizens, with many Weibo users sending out prays for them, saying they do not want to hear more bad news about the accident.

The accident marks the first collision accident between ships near the Yangtze River Estuary in Shanghai this summer.

Global Times