The chances of finding the 27 crew members missing after it was cut in two in the South China Sea by tropical storm Chamba are “very slim”, Hong Kong authorities said, adding that search operations were continuing.
The ship was sailing 160 nautical miles southwest of Hong Kong on Saturday when it was in the passage of Typhoon Champa. “It was severely damaged and broke into two pieces,” Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service said.
The rescue crews rushed to the scene of the accident, after being informed about the incident at approximately 07:25 yesterday Saturday morning (02:35 a.m. Greek time). They managed to save three of the total 30 crew members, who were taken to hospital.
Images released by Hong Kong authorities show a man being taken away from the crash site by helicopter as waves hit the bridge of the half-submerged ship.
At the site of the accident, winds were recorded blowing at a speed of 140 kilometers per hour, while the waves reached a height of 10 meters.
According to the three survivors, the crew abandoned the ship when it broke in two and the rest of the crew were swept away by the waves before the first helicopter arrived, the Hong Kong government said in a statement.
The search area has been widened but the chances of finding survivors are “very slim”, said Government Flying Service controller West We.
Typhoon Champa formed in the center of the South China Sea. Heavy rain and strong winds battered Hong Kong on Friday and Saturday, while the tropical storm headed for mainland China in Guangdong province yesterday afternoon.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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