At least one person died and 11 others were feared drowned in eastern China after their ship collided with another vessel and sank in the Yangtze River, local maritime authorities said Tuesday.

Rescuers expanded their search for the 11 missing people to dry land after trawling the waters near the scene of the sinking late Monday, said Ma Changhong, a maritime official in Jiangsu province.

"If these people fell into the water, there is basically no hope for their survival," Ma, the vice director of the provincial maritime rescue centre, told AFP, adding that one body had been recovered.

Two people were rescued on Monday after their vessel, Pengxiang 9, sank following the collision with another boat, the Jintai 618, the rescue centre said in a statement.

The cause of the accident was under investigation, officials said.