A fishing boat sunk in Macao after colliding with a cargo ship Saturday night, leaving three people dead, according to authorities.

After the collision at 10:30 pm, the fishing boat's captain and four others aboard were rescued on Saturday by divers and boats dispatched by the Maritime Administration and Macao Customs Service. Three men, from the Chinese mainland, remained missing.

Their bodies were recovered around 1 pm on Sunday, several hours after divers were able to make their way past the filled nets and cargo cluttering the wreck of the capsized vessel, authorities said.

Wong Soi-man, director of the maritime administration of Macao, said the collision is under investigation.

She said that the fishing boat and the cargo ship frequently enter and exit Macao port and should have been familiar with the environment.

The wreck was towed to the customs service, and the cargo ship is being detained.

luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn