8 September 2010 Last updated at 07:37 ET

Two missing in China oil rig accident

Footage of the stricken oil rig and rescue effort

Two oil workers are missing and more than 30 have been rescued from a rig off China's north-east coast, which was damaged in a storm, state media says.

Helicopters and rescue boats are searching for two people who fell from the platform, which is listing at a 45-degree angle in the Shengli oil field.

The oil field, operated by Sinopec, is the second-largest in China.

Sinopec said no oil has been spilled, and said powerful waves generated by Typhoon Malou were the likely cause.

Rescue workers in helicopters saved 34 people from the rig about five nautical miles (9km) off Dongying in Shandong province, China's transport ministry said.

The rescue took place at 0600 local time (2200 GMT Tuesday) after the incident was reported late on Tuesday,

The accident comes just weeks after China's worst oil spill, after a fire at an oil depot caused crude oil to leak into the sea for several days.

A massive clean-up operation was launched in July in the area around the port of Dalian, one of China's most important strategic oil reserves.