HANGZHOU, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Eight people are missing after a boat sank in the sea near east China's Zhejiang Province Sunday night, local authorities have said.

According to the provincial maritime search and rescue center, a fishing boat sank about 70 sea miles northeast of Xiangshan County. The eight people onboard were still missing as of 2 p.m. Monday.

The maritime search and rescue center initiated an emergency response immediately after receiving the report at about 2 a.m. and dispatched five boats and a helicopter to search for the missing. Over 20 nearby fishing boats also joined the rescue.

With the sea on three sides, Xiangshan has more than 600 islands and reefs. The county is less than 300 km south of Shanghai.