Beijing, Nov 29 (IANS) Two foreign-flagged cargo ships collided in the sea off China’s Shandong province Monday, Chinese maritime authorities said. There were, however, no casualties.

The maritime bureau in Weihai, a port city in Shandong, received a report at 2.25 a.m. saying a Panamanian ship had collided with a Maltese vessel and both were seriously damaged, China Daily reported.

The cause of the collision was not yet known.

The bureau sent four rescue boats that arrived at the scene at 5.30 a.m. and rescued all 49 sailors on board the two ships.

The Maltese ship, on its way from Indonesia to Tianjin, was carrying 23 sailors, including 13 Iranians and 10 Filipinos. All 26 sailors on board the Panamanian ship, en route from Tianjin to Singapore, were Chinese.