FIVE mainland fishermen who unexpectedly spent New Year's Day in Hong Kong are seeking compensation after their fishing boat was involved in a collision with a container ship in the South China Sea.
Their 25-metre wooden vessel is believed to be still adrift after the five men from Shantau were rescued by the vessel involved in the collision.
The Antigua-registered Leerort plucked the men off their boat about 30 minutes after the collision 12 nautical miles off the coast of Shantau, about 120 nautical miles east of Hong Kong, at 4 pm on New Year's Eve.
The German-owned vessel, sailing from Japan, arrived in Hong Kong yesterday morning and handed the men to the Mission to Seamen based at the Mariners' Club in Tsim Sha Tsui.
The five men - Wu Wenhan, Chen Xingsen, Chen Liangcheng, Chen Lu and Wu Long - will stay at the club until immigration details are sorted out and they can be sent back to Shantau.
Mr Wu, 30, said yesterday all the men were anxious to get home because their families were unaware of their fate.