Rescuers find bodies of 12 crewmen suspected to belong to vessel that split in 2 near Hong Kong during Typhoon Chaba
- Massive operation launched by Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities after engineering ship ‘Fujing001’ wrecked in typhoon
- Fourth crewman rescued earlier on Monday, but fate of 14 others remains unknown
Rescuers on Monday retrieved a dozen bodies believed to be crew members of a vessel that was split in half by Typhoon Chaba in the South China Sea, and plucked a fourth sailor alive from the chilly waters, but the chances of finding the remaining 14 were dwindling by the hour as the search ended its second day.
Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities have sent helicopters, planes and hundreds of boats to scour a patch of ocean about 300km southwest of the city, where the “Fujing001” engineering vessel sank amid heavy waves and strong winds just after 2am on Saturday.
The 12 bodies were discovered on Monday afternoon, national broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the Guangdong Provincial Maritime Search and Rescue Centre, and authorities were trying to confirm their identities.
The fourth crew member was found at about 3.30am after surviving roughly 40 hours adrift in the water wearing his life jacket, and he was in stable condition, according to provincial authorities.
One pilot with Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service described the difficulties they encountered on Sunday as they tried to navigate an area covered with dense fog and littered with wind turbines.