JINJIANG, Fujian - Six people remained missing after a sand dredge capsized and sank Thursday in the Jinmen Sea near Jinjiang city in East China's Fujian province, rescuers said on Friday.

As of Friday noon, rescuers had not reached the sunken ship due to heavy storm waves in the Weitou sea area of Jinjiang, said Ou Jinxin, director of the Weitou border police station.

The 1,700-ton sand dredge capsized at sea with nine people on board around 4 pm Thursday as tropical storm Trami made landfall in Fujian.

Rescuers were making efforts to search for the missing people and reach the ship in the afternoon as tides fell.