Hurricane Chaba Wrecked Shipwreck In South China Sea, 27 People Missing

Illustration of a storm. (Unsplash/Ray Harrington)

JAKARTA - At least 27 people are missing after a tow ship sank in waters off the coast of Guangdong Province in southern China due to being hit by Hurricane Chaba, Saturday (2/7).

Monitoring systems detected the ship's anchor was in danger after the mooring chain broke while trying to avoid the blows of Typhoon Chaba in waters near Yangjiang City.

That's what caused the crane to sink, the Guangdong Province Maritime Search and Rescue Center said on Sunday.

Several helicopters and rescue boats, including a commercial ship sailing near the scene, were deployed for rescue and search for victims.

Local television channels broadcast the search and rescue team's efforts from inside the helicopter as they rescued the victims.

As of Saturday at 12.00 local time (11.00 WIB) as many as three crane boat workers have been rescued, while 27 other workers who drowned in a sea storm have not been found.

Until now, the search effort is still ongoing.

China's National Drought and Flood Control Center has raised its emergency response to level III in light of the possibility of flooding triggered by a third and fourth hurricane this year.

Chaba, the third typhoon this year, made landfall in the coastal area of Maoming City, Guangdong Province, on Saturday afternoon.

Aere, the fourth hurricane, had approached the East China Sea on Saturday evening.