Tragedy at sea in Typhoon Chaba: Dozens of crew members missing after massive ship breaks in half and sank from Hong Kong, as dramatic video shows one being blown off just before the vessel disappeared under the waves
- The doomed Fujing 001 vessel sank about 186 miles south of the coast of Hong Kong
- Dramatic footage shows rescue teams lifting helicopters inside helicopters
- Only three crew members out of 30 have been found so far
Dozens of crew members are missing off the coast of Hong Kong after an industrial support ship broke in two and sank during a severe tropical storm.
Authorities sent plans and helicopters to help with the rescue on Saturday, with at least three people from the crew of 30 brought to safety from 17:30 local time (10:00 GMT).
Photos released by the Hong Kong government airline show one crew member being swung towards a rescue helicopter while big waves hit the sinking vessels, which broke up into two parts.
The crash happened about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hong Kong.
The Air Force did not give the name or origin of the vessel.
The Fujing 001 vessel drifted after two crashed off the coast of Hong Kong, China
The Hong Kong service sent two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters for the rescue effort (Photo: Aerial photo of ship sinking)
Helicopter crew members win over a man from a sinking ship in the South China Sea on Saturday, 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hong Kong.
It said in a statement that crew members were negotiating problems caused by the Severe Tropical Storm Chaba, which tackles maximum winds of 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour.
The storm landed later Saturday in the western part of the coastal province, KwaZulu-Natal.
The Hong Kong service sent two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters to the Fujing 001 vessel.
Chaba is China’s first typhoon of the year in which forecasters predicted record rainfall and high risks of natural disasters in what the densely populated Guandong will bring.
Chaba is the Thai name for the hibiscus flower, and the storm is moving northwest at a speed of about 15-20 km / h, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement.
The center’s chief forecaster, Gao Shuanzhu, said there was a chance the storm would break the record for cumulative rainfall as it carries the monsoon rain belt to the interior.
He added: “The abundant monsoon water vapor will lead to intense showers and heavy cumulative rainfall of an extreme nature,”