The Philippine coastguard is searching for 28 Chinese fishermen after their ship sank off the northwest coast of the country.

A coastguard ship with a medical team and rescue swimmers was dispatched on Sunday night after receiving a report from Chinese authorities that the Jinshan had sunk with 28 crew members on board.

The fishing boat had passed a lighthouse at Cape Bojeador in Ilocos Norte province when it developed problems and sank late on Sunday, coast guard spokesman Lieutenant-Commander Armand Balilo said.

He said the Philippines received a request for assistance from the China Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre and sent a search vessel 110km north of Cape Bojeador into the South China sea to look for the missing crewmen.

The area is about 440km north of the Philippine capital, Manila.

PHOTO CAPTION

 A Chinese fishing vessel.

Al-Jazeera