TOKYO, July 22 (Xinhuanet) -- One Chinese crew member died and eight remained missing following a collision between two ships early Friday off Japan's eastern coast, the Japan Coast Guard said.

    The accident took place at around 5:10 a.m.(2010 GMT) about 10 kilometers south-southwest of Cape Inubosaki in the Chiba prefecture, neighboring Tokyo in the east.

    The Wei Hang 9, a 3,947-ton freighter registered in Malta with 21 Chinese crew members, sank, the coast guard said. The other ship is a Japanese-registered 499-ton freighter, which survived the accident and no crew member aboard was injured.

    The victim died of serious injures in the hospital after being rescued.

    The Japan Coast Guard has sent ships and aircraft for the research and rescue operation, while the cause of the accident has yet to be known. Enditem