At least 117 of the 312 passengers and crewmen aboard the ship Dashun have been found dead in a shipwreck near the port city of Yantai in east China's Shangdong Province.

Rescue workers said that only 22 survivors have been found so far.

The ship, belonging to a Shandong company, was forced to turn back due to the gale-force winds and huge waves Wednesday afternoon as it headed for the port of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province. The vessel sent out distress signals when flames were discovered at 4:30 p.m. on the second deck.

No ships in the area were able to approach Dashun for help because of the strong wind and high waves.

The main helm apparently broke apart at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, and the ship drifted at sea. The fire spread to the third deck and no signals were sent out after 11:45 p.m., and later the ship was found stranded.

The low temperature, around zero degree Celsius, and the continuous gale made rescue operations difficult.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.