Ten people are missing after a boat illegally carrying passengers capsized near Changxing Island near Shanghai yesterday.

The private boat with 22 people on board, many of whom had paid to travel because licensed ferries were not allowed to operate in the fog, left Changxing Island heading to Wusong Port at about 2pm yesterday.

Soon after, it collided with an anchored cargo ship, overturning and throwing all on board into the water.

The ship's crew managed to pull 12 of the victims to safety but the others had not been found at the time of going to press.

Yesterday on the fog-blanketed Yangtze River, water traffic authorities were stretched trying to control boats ignoring the shipping bans and other craft illegally ferrying commuters for money.

Two fully laden fishing boats acting as illegal ferries near Waigaoqiao Port were arrested. The 10-meter wooden boats were packed with more than 30 men, women and children, some even crouching on top of the cabins.

The passengers were migrant workers from Waigaoqiao Port and had paid in all 200 yuan for the risky ride along the river.

The two operators have been fined 500 yuan each and will be detained by the police for five days.

Thee city's port and ferry services remained locked down yesterday, with nearly 1,000 vessels now anchoring in ports and at the mouth of the Yangtze.

(Shanghai Daily January 12, 2008)