HANGZHOU -- Six people are missing after a Chinese fishing boat collided with a Greek oil tanker in the sea off East China's Zhejiang province, maritime authorities said on Saturday.

The Taizhou city maritime rescue center said they received report of the accident around 10 pm Friday that the Greek oil tanker Australis, had hit a Zhejiang fishing boat off the coast of Taizhou.

Six people on board the fishing boat fell overboard and have been missing since then. A rescue operation is being hampered by strong winds.

Cause of the collision is being investigated.