The three wounded Chinese fishermen attacked by gunmen on an unidentified foreign boat in South China Sea have been rescued and given effective treatment in a hospital.

Local media said that there is no life danger for them, although four of their companies have been shot dead.

These fishermen, natives of Tanmen Town of Hainan Province, were attacked at 18:00 pm on April 27 when they were fishing on the waters near the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea. Four fishermen were killed on the spot and three were wounded.

All the equipments on their boat, worth 170 thousand yuan, including radios and navigation apparatus, were robbed, reports said.

Reports also pointed out this was the vilest attack to Chinese fishermen ever happened in waters of the Nansha Islands in recent years. The nationalities of the attackers are still unknown.

Local fishery department reported the accident to the Agricultural Ministry of China, and instructed another fishing boat to go to the scene for an emergent rescue. The South China Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army has also sent military surgeons to help the rescue work.

The Hainan Provincial government has set up a special group consisting of officials, doctors, civil affairs workers and fishermen, in an effort to properly handle the event.

Relevant state departments have also sent officials to Hainan province to help investigate the case and to console the families of the dead and wounded.

Source: Xinhua