Oil tanker sinks off Hong Kong

Two Chinese sailors are missing after a collision between a mainland oil tanker and a Norwegian boat in the mouth of the Pearl river near Hong Kong.

The tanker sank, with its cargo of 230 cubic metres of heavy oil.

The Chinese news agency Xinhua said that oil had begun leaking into the sea, and that clean-up operations were already underway.

A spokesman for Hong Kong's maritime department said the chances of the spill affecting Hong Kong was relatively small. Reports say there was little damage to the Norwegian ship.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service