As reported by Chinese news media, chemical tanker Wan Dong Fang capsized on the Yangtze river near the eastern city of Nanjing on the Yangtze River on Thursday, June 18. Two crewmembers are still missing.

Wan Dong Fang is owned by Bengbu Dongfang Shipping. The vessel was carrying around 300 tons of liquid sodium hydroxide from Taizhou to Hefei via Wuhu, when it turned over and became stuck on the riverbed in Jiangsu province.

Chinese tanker capsizes on Yangtze River, two missing

Search and rescue teams were dispatched at the scene by Nanjing maritime authorities, also two salvage vessels from Jiangsu Jiaolong Harbor Engineering and Nanjing Yangzi Salvage Engineering, along with two tugboats from Nanjing Port.

According to information released on Jiangsu television, the tank of the vessel has not been damaged and no leakage into the river had been detected. Despite the fact, environment protection authorities are still investigating potential pollution from the accident.

The cargo ship is believed to have been carrying two people. Local radio reported that the vessel has been lifted out of the water and the searching for the two crewmembers are still ongoing.

Yangtze is China's longest river. The incident from yesterday follows modern China's worst shipping disaster on Jun 1, when 442 people died after a cruise ship "Eastern Star" also capsized on the river, but in the central province of Hubei.