The cargo ship CHENGLU15 is seen amid a storm in Yingri Harbor of Pohang in South Korea on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

SEOUL - A Panamanian-registered cargo ship carrying 19 people sank in South Korea's southeast Pohang harbor amid a storm at around 21:30 local time on Tuesday, leaving 10 people dead and one missing, according to the Chinese Consulate General in Busan.

An official from the Chinese Consulate General confirmed that among 19 people aboard the ship, 18 were Chinese citizens and the remaining one was Vietnamese.

Eight people have been rescued and 10 bodies recovered by far, while one person is still missing, according to the South Korea's coast guard who conducts the rescue operation.

They said the ship CHENGLU15 set off from Pyeongtaek port of South Korea's west coast on October 2 and arrived at Pohang two days later to unload the cargo.

At around 15:15 local time on Tuesday, the ship crew called local police reporting the ship started to float to the deep sea as its anchor was swept away by the storm. But South Korean coast guard got close to the ship until 17:00 local time as strong wind and waves hampered the rescue operation. The ship sank after six hours in Yingri Harbor of Pohang.

The Panamanian-registered ship belongs to China's Lishen international shipping group corporation in Zhejiang province.

The South Korean coast guard has established emergency rescue headquarters, sending helicopters, ships and special rescue team to search the missing people.

Chinese Consulate General in Busan has also sent a team of four people to assist the rescue work and called for the South Korean side to make all-out efforts to rescue the crew.