Three people have been confirmed dead and another eight are still missing after a passenger ship sank in Central China's Hunan province on Sunday, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

A passenger ship hit a cargo ship at about 10 am after its engine began to malfunction on the Yuan river in the province's Luxi county. Twenty-five people fell in the water, 14 of whom were saved. The passengers were all from a nearby village, according to the report.

Two of their bodies were found on Monday afternoon, and rescuers are still searching for the missing people. Flood season has begun for the river, a time when its waters tend to flow very quickly. Rescuers are consequently finding it more difficult than usual to perform their duties, the report said.