CHENGDU - Fourteen people are feared missing after a leisure boat capsized on a lake in southwest China's Sichuan province on Saturday, according to the local government.

The accident happened at around 2:50 pm on the Bailong Lake in Guangyuan, the city's Lizhou District government said in a statement.

It said strong gales were to blame.

By 7:30 pm, rescuers had pulled four people from the lake. The search for the missing continues.

The boat, which has 40 seats, was carrying 18 people when it capsized, the statement said.