SHANGHAI,
Jan 16 (Reuters) – More than 20 people are missing after a tug boat
sank in the Yangtze River in China’s eastern Jiangsu Province on
Thursday, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday quoting
local authorities.
Seven or eight foreigners working on the boat, including citizens of
Singapore and Japan, were among the missing, it said. A French citizen
may also be among the missing.
Sembcorp Marine Ltd, a Singapore-based shipbuilder, said the tug boat
that its subsidiary, Jurong Marine Services Pte Ltd, had planned to
charter sank during a sea trial. Three of the company’s employees were
on board.
Sembcorp Marine is part of Sembcorp Industries Ltd , an industrial
conglomerate with Singapore’s state investor Temasek Holdings being the
biggest shareholder.
The accident happened on Thursday afternoon, Xinhua said. Three
people had been rescued and a search and rescue mission is underway.
(Reporting by John Ruwitch; Additional reporting by Rujun Shen in
SINGAPORE; Editing by Paul Tait)