SHANGHAI - Three people have been reported missing since a ship sank Tuesday afternoon in waters near Shanghai, the local maritime authority said Wednesday.

At the time of the accident, five people were on board the Jinghuai188, which was carrying 770 tonnes of steel from Shanghai to Nantong city of Jiangsu province.

The Shanghai Maritime Search and Rescue Center received a call for help at about 2:20 pm and immediately sent patrol boats to the accident site for rescue operations.

An elderly couple were pulled out of the water, but their son, son-in-law and grandson remained missing, according to the bureau.

Rescue work is ongoing, as 12 rescue ships are still working at the scene of the accident.