4 missing after fishing boats capsize off south China coast

Nineteen people have been rescued and four are still missing after strong winds hit four fishing boats off the coast of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local sources said Tuesday.

Crew members on two fishing boats made distress calls after being caught by storms near a drilling platform in the Beibu Gulf in the early hours of Monday. A third boat made an emergency call soon after.

Four vessels in the surrounding seas were sent to the rescue, and all 19 crew members were saved before dawn, the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration said.

The local maritime search and rescue center received another call at around 6am from families of four missing fishermen, who went to sea on Sunday but failed to return.

Vessels have been sent and the search for the missing people is still underway.