Ninety-six people were lifted out of danger in an overnight rescue operation in seawaters off east China's Shandong Province, the local maritime bureau said early Tuesday.

 

High winds stranded a passenger vessel and caused four engineering boats to go adrift close to Dongying Port on the Bohai Sea Monday afternoon, the Shandong Provincial Maritime Bureau reported at 4:00 PM.

 

A spokesman of the bureau said the five vessels were carrying a total of 96 people, including sailors and engineering staff and were in danger of sinking in the high winds. The bureau sent eight salvage boats to the emergency rescue scene and worked for 12 hours to anchor all five vessels.

 

All 96 people had been lifted out of danger by 5:00 AM Tuesday, the bureau stated. ?

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2006)