23 Chinese Nationals Missing After Boat Capsizes Off Cambodia Coast

More than 20 Chinese nationals are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Cambodia, an official said Friday.

Cambodian rescue teams on Friday searched for 23 Chinese nationals who went missing after their boat sank near islands off a coastal town popular with tourists and gamblers.

The local government said in a statement that authorities rescued 18 people after the boat went down early Thursday morning off the town of Sihanoukville.

It was not clear why the boat sank. Authorities are interrogating survivors who have been taken to a nearby island.

The provincial government did not provide details of the identity of the Chinese citizens and it was not clear if any Cambodians were among those rescued or missing.

Cambodia is popular with tourists and business people from China, but many Chinese have been unable to travel over the past two years due to China's COVID-19 restrictions.

One survivor, 27-year-old Chengwei Sheng from China's Fujian Province, told authorities that the boat was carrying 41 people, including three women,

The county government said.

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ProBuzzFeed