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Tragedy at sea in Typhoon Chaba: Dozens of crew are missing after massive ship broke in half and sunk off Hong Kong as dramatic video shows one being winched off just before vessel vanished beneath the waves
- Doomed Fujing 001 vessel sunk some 186 miles south off the coast of Hong Kong
- Dramatic footage shows rescue teams inside helicopters hoisting up survivors
- Only three crew members out of 30 are reported to have been found so far
Dozens of crew are missing off the coast of Hong Kong after an industrial support ship snapped in two and sunk during a fierce tropical storm.
Authorities dispatched planes and helicopters to aid in the rescue on Saturday, with at least three people from the crew of 30 brought to safety as of 5.30pm local time (10am GMT).
Photos released by the Hong Kong Government Flying Service showed one crew member being winched up to a rescue helicopter as big waves lashed the sinking vessels, which had broken up in two parts.
The accident occurred about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hong Kong.
The Flying Service did not give the name or origin of the vessel.
The Fujing 001 vessel adrift after snapping in two off the coast of Hong Kong, in China
The Hong Kong service sent two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters for the rescue effort (Pictured: Aerial photo of ship sinking)
Helicopter crew members winch up a man from a sinking ship in the South China Sea, 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hong Kong on Saturday
It said in a statement that crew members were negotiating difficulties brought on by Severe Tropical Storm Chaba, which was packing maximum winds of 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour.
The storm made landfall in the western part of the coastal province of Guangdong later Saturday.
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 what forecasters have predicted will bring record rainfall and high risks of natural disasters in the likes of the heavily populated Guandong.
Chaba is the Thai name for the hibiscus flower, and the storm is moving northwest at a speed of around 15-20km/hr, the National Meteorological Centre said in a statement.
The centre’s chief forecaster Gao Shuanzhu said there is a chance the storm will break the record for cumulative rainfall as it carries the monsoon rain belt inland.
He added: ‘The abundant monsoon water vapour will lead to intense downpours and huge cumulative rainfall of an extreme nature,’
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