Over Two Dozen Crew Missing as Storm Chaba Hits Hong Kong

Over Two Dozen Crew Missing as Storm Chaba Hits Hong Kong
Rescuers lift a crew member of a sinking vessel into a helicopter, after it snapped in two as tropical storm Chaba passed through, in waters off Hong Kong in this screen grab taken from a video on July 2, 2022. Hong Kong Government Flying Service/Handout via Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

HONG KONG—More than two dozen crew on an engineering vessel with 30 people on board were missing after it snapped in two in waters off Hong Kong as tropical storm Chaba passed through, authorities said.

Three crew members were rescued, and search and rescue operations were continuing for others about 300 km (200 miles) southwest of the city, the Hong Kong Government Flying Service said.

Some of the crew had abandoned the vessel and harsh weather conditions were hampering rescue efforts, they said.

Chaba skirted the global financial hub, bringing heavy rain and wind, restricting public transport, and forcing many businesses to close.

A vessel sinking after it snapped in two as tropical storm Chaba passed through, in waters off Hong Kong on July 2, 2022. (Hong Kong Government Flying Service/Handout via Reuters)
A vessel sinking after it snapped in two as tropical storm Chaba passed through, in waters off Hong Kong on July 2, 2022. Hong Kong Government Flying Service/Handout via Reuters

The financial hub’s weather forecaster lowered the storm warning to signal No 3 on Saturday afternoon as Chaba made landfall near Zhangjiang in China’s Guangdong Province.

Authorities in Hong Kong raised the typhoon warning on Thursday just as Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in the city for Friday’s ceremony of the 25th anniversary of its handover from Britain to China.