A ferry has sunk in East China's Anhui Province, leaving a dozen people missing.

The accident occurred at about 1:40 A-M today when a ferry carrying 21 people sank in the Ma'anshan section of the Yangtze River. The Anhui Provincial Emergency Management Office says nine of them have been rescued, and are in stable condition.

The office also says the boat, which was not overloaded, was travelling from Ma'anshan City to Hexian County. The local government has dispatched at least nine boats to search for the missing people. The cause of the accident is being investigated.