Chinese embassy officials said that a Chinese cargo vessel sank off the northern Philippines due to big winds and waves, with one person killed and another missing.

An embassy official who requested anonymity told Xinhua that the vessel, which was transporting iron ore from the Philippines' Luzon region to China's Fujian province, sent a distress signal in waters near the northern Philippine province of Cagayan around midnight, prompting the Philippine Coast Guard to launch a rescue operation.

The vessel has 15 crew members on board, including 13 Chinese nationals, one Indonesian and one Filipino, said the official, adding that 13 people have been rescued as of 4:30 AM local time, while one Chinese sailor died and another remained missing.

A group of Chinese embassy officials are heading to the sinking site. Rescue operations are ongoing.

(Sourced from www.philstar.com)