Ten people were confirmed dead and one other was missing after they were swept into the sea area off Zhangzhou City in east China's Fujian Province, local government said Saturday.

They were among 17 people who were swept into the sea while playing on a beach near Jiangkou Village in Zhangzhou's Zhangpu County Saturday afternoon, according to the city government.

Among the 16-people rescued, 10 were confirmed dead and six have stable vital signs. Search for the missing person is ongoing, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Investigation into the accident is underway.