Twelve people have been rescued and one remains missing after a fishing-vessel accident in south China's Guangdong Province Saturday, local authorities said.

The municipal government of Jiangmen said they received a distress call in the early hours of Saturday morning from a fishing boat off the coast of Taishan. The ship reported that it was taking on water and tilting to one side, with contact lost soon afterward.

The government immediately launched a search operation and mobilized commercial and fishing vehicles in the proximity to assist. As of 9 a.m., 12 members of the boat's crew had been rescued, but rescuers were still searching for one missing person.