27 missing in South China Sea after typhoon breaks ship in half

In this image released by Hong Kong Government Flying Service, a helicopter with rescue crew members approaches a sinking ship in the South China Sea, 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hong Kong, July 2, 2022, as Typhoon Chaba was moving in the area. (Hong Kong Government Flying Service via AP)

by Agencies

Jul 02, 2022 5:40 pm

The search continues for 27 members of a 30-person crew still missing in the South China Sea after a freighter broke in two amid Typhoon Chaba on Saturday, according to media reports.

Authorities dispatched planes and helicopters to aid in the rescue, with at least three people from the crew of 30 brought to safety as of 5:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. GMT) Saturday.

The ship sank 300 kilometers (186 miles) to the west of the area China calls its special administrative region. It was not clear what had happened to the other 27 people, the South China Morning Post reported.

The report named the ship as the China-flagged Fujing001, stating that it called for help early on Saturday as the typhoon bore down packing maximum winds of 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour.

Video footage of the rescue showed one crew member being pulled up to a helicopter by a line as the ship sank beneath him. Rescue operations were struggling to search for survivors due to 10-meter (33-foot) waves and visibility of less than 500 meters.

In this image released by Hong Kong Government Flying Service, helicopter crew members winch up a man from a sinking ship in the South China Sea, 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hong Kong, July 2, 2022, as Typhoon Chaba was moving in the area. The industrial support ship operating in the South China Sea has sunk with the possible loss of more than two dozen crew members, rescue services in Hong Kong said Saturday. (Hong Kong Government Flying Service via AP)