NANNING - Chinese maritime police rescued 10 Vietnamese sailors on Sunday in waters near the sea border between the two countries, a Chinese maritime official said.

The Vietnamese sailors drifted to waters near the Beilun River estuary on two life rafts, after their vessel, loaded with more than 300 tonnes of rocks, sank early Sunday morning in the Vietnamese waters, said the Chinese official.

They were rescued by maritime police of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. They were all well and returned to Vietnam on Sunday afternoon.