Twelve Chinese fishermen on Wednesday was found stranded in Indonesia's West Kalimantan province as their boat sank due to high waves in the South China Sea, the Kompas daily reported on Friday.

There were 17 fishermen on the boat and the other 5 fishermen were still missing. Currently, the survivors were accommodated in the province's Immigration and Detention House.

According to the Head of province's Immigration Office Harsoyo, the fishermen were not illegal immigrants or trespassers.

Wu Xin Chiang, 22, one of the Chinese fishermen, said that initially the 17 fishermen were in a motor boat weighted 50 gross tons from Hainan province. On Sunday, he recalled, a high wave attacked them in the South China Sea, sinking their boat. Twelve of them managed to survive. They were found after floating for three days.

They were in good condition when they were examined.

The province's immigration office has contacted Chinese embassyin Jakarta.

"The embassy will follow up by processing the return of the stranded fishermen," Harsoyo said.

Source:Xinhua