Chinese nationals feared dead after boat sinks in Cambodia

In this June 21, 2016 photo, tourists sit on a wooden boat as they start to cross the Mekong River to close a habitat of dolphins, which is near the site of Don Sahong dam, near Cambodia-Laos borders, in Preah Romkel village, Stung Treng province, northeast of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. HENG SINITH AP PHNOM PENH A boat carrying Chinese nationals sank off the southwestern Cambodia's sea on Thursday evening, the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia confirmed on Friday.

According to the Chinese embassy, the Chinese police department received a notification on Thursday night from the Cambodian police department, saying that the ship, which used to have 41 Chinese citizens, had 18 being rescued and the remaining 23 missing. Two Cambodian crew members were arrested.

The people on board departed from Guangzhou, China on Sept 11 and were in distress shortly after arriving in the waters of Preah Sihanouk province.

After receiving the information, Ambassador Wang Wentian immediately dispatched staff to the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, the police department, the Sihanouk Provincial Government and other relevant departments to request rescuing the missing ones. On Thursday night, Li Jie, a counselor and consul general of the embassy, rushed to Preah Sihanouk to coordinate rescue operations.

On Friday morning, Li received information from Kuoch Chamroeun, governor of Preah Sihanouk province, about the latest progress in the search and rescue work. After the accident, the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, the National Police and the provincial government carried out rescue work with all their strength, according to Chamroeun.

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Another person was rescued on Friday, and a victim's body was recovered, according to the embassy.

The Sihanouk provincial government issued a reward notice to fishermen saying that rescuing each missing person would be rewarded with $500 in the hope of mobilizing social forces to participate in the rescue.

The search and rescue operation is still going on.