QUITO, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- More than 100 people were still missing when an Ecuadorian ship carrying suspected illegal immigrants sank in the Pacific off the Colombian coast, the Colombian navy said Wednesday.

    An Ecuadorian fishing boat ar rived at the scene of the sinking about 100 miles out in the Pacific and rescued seven men and two women, the navy said. About 120 people were aboard the vessel whenit sank. But some media reports put the number of people on board at 113.

    The navy said Navy personnel were assisting in search-and-rescue operations.

    The boat was apparently carrying people who wanted to enter the United States illegally, the Navy statement said.

    "We are waiting for the survivors to find out what happened," a Colombia navy officer said. Enditem