Two bodies have been discovered near a sunken ship that was involved in a collision on the Pearl River Delta.

Authorities are still trying to determine whether the bodies are of the missing sailors.

Rescue teams started to pump sand out of the sunken vessel late Wednesday night and discovered the first body in a life boat.

A second body is still being retrieved.

Two cargo ships collided on Monday near the Pearl River estuary in southern China, with a total taking of 25 sailors on board both vessels.

Most of the crew members had been rescued by nightfall Tuesday, with five still missing.

The cause of the collision is still being investigated.

One of the ships was reported to have crashed into the other after making detours on a narrow waterway.

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