A rescue vessel tries to put out fire emerging from an oil tanker after it collided with a cargo ship near the Yangtze River estuary, Aug. 20, 2020. Three had been rescued and 14 others went missing after an oil tanker collided with a cargo ship about 1.5 nautical miles southeast of the Yangtze River estuary early Thursday, according to the maritime authorities in Shanghai. The accident occurred at 3: 39 a.m. Thursday, when an oil tanker carrying about 3,000 tonnes of gasoline collided with a cargo ship loaded with sand and gravel, causing a fire on the deck of the oil tanker and the latter to sink. (Donghai Rescue Bureau/Handout via Xinhua)

Three people have been rescued while 14 are still missing after two ships collided near the Yangtze River Estuary in Shanghai on early Thursday morning, the Shanghai maritime safety authority said on Thursday. The rescue operation for the missing crew members is still ongoing.

The collision, which involved a gravel boat and a petrol tanker with 3,000 tons of gasoline, took place 1.5 nautical miles (2.78 kilometers) southeast of the lightvessel in Yangtze River at 3:39 am on Thursday. 

The accident sank the gravel boat and resulted in a fire on the deck of the petrol tanker, causing trouble for the 17 people on board, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration said.

Three people have been saved as of 8:00 am Thursday, with one sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. The local authority is still searching for the remaining 14 crew members while ensuring smooth navigation for the ships in the nearby area.

The accident marks the first collision accident between ships near the Yangtze River Estuary in Shanghai this summer.