Seaweed harvesters swept out to sea

Sixteen Chinese workers were missing today after they were swept out to sea while harvesting seaweed, state media said.

A search-and-rescue operation was under way in Rudong, a county in Jiangsu province, where 18 workers were using tractors to gather seaweed when the tide was out, the Xinhua News Agency said.

The water began coming in the early evening and levels were around 23ft high near midnight, it said.

The workers were pulled into the ocean by the current while they were trying to escape. Two were rescued, but another 16 (13 women and three men) were missing, Xinhua said.