Rescuers find bodies in HK wreck

A rescue operation has been under way since Sunday

Divers have recovered two bodies from a ship that sank off the coast of Hong Kong after colliding with a Chinese cargo vessel.

Eighteen Ukrainian sailors were trapped inside the Naftogaz 67 tug when it sank late on Saturday.

Divers would continue to search for the missing men, officials said. The tug is resting upside-down on the sea floor.

Seven crew members were rescued after the collision, the cause of which is not known.

Rescuers had initially hoped that some crew members could have survived in air pockets inside the upturned ship.

But hopes faded for the trapped men after divers who knocked on the ship's hull received no response.

One of the bodies was found near the ship's engine room, government spokeswoman Michelle Ip said.

The Naftogaz 67 collided with the Chinese-registered cargo ship Yao Lai late on Saturday near the island of Lantau.

Strong currents and the position of the ship on the sea floor had hindered rescue efforts, officials in Hong Kong said earlier.