The Liaoning provincial Frontier Defense Corps of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force rescued 31 fishermen from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea around 4 pm on Jan 14 at Donggang Port in Dandong, Liaoning province.

The fishing boat departed from a DPRK port to the Yellow Sea six days ago. Due to running out of fuel as well as radio and mechanical failure, the ship drifted for several days and reached Donggang port on Jan 15.

The boat hit a pier in the port, began to leak and was about to capsize when the staff of Donggang port found the ship at risk and called police.

Fortunately, no one on the boat was injured.

Local government in Donggang sent the fishermen to a hotel and provided them with bread, sausages and water.

The broken boat is now being fixed, but the local government may send the fishermen back overland to the DPRK to ensure their security, sources said.