Strong gales along with a cold front from Siberia capsized two vessels Sunday on the East China Sea, leaving five crew members missing.

The Shanghai maritime salvage authorities said it sent a rescue ship and a helicopter after receiving help messages from a fishing boat Sunday morning.

The boat with 11 crew members on board capsized in storm 30 sea miles off Zhoushan Islands. Rescuers salvaged all of the crew members from the cold sea.

Another shipwreck occurred 30 sea miles northeast of the estuary of the Yangtze River after noon. The boat fully loaded with ore sand had 17 crew members on board.

Rescuers rushed to the site by ship and helicopter and salvaged 12 victims. There were still five crew members missing. The rescuers were searching for the victims.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2005)