Ship sinks in storm off Hong Kong, dozens of crew in danger

In this image released by the Hong Kong Government Flight Service, a helicopter with rescue crew members approaches a sinking ship in the South China Sea, 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hong Kong. male (AP)

HONG KONG: An industrial support vessel operating in the South China Sea has sunk in a storm with the potential loss of more than two dozen crew members, the rescue service in Hong Kong said on Saturday.
Authorities dispatched planes and helicopters to assist in the rescue, with at least three people from the 30-person crew being brought to safety at 5:30 p.m. (10:30 GMT) Saturday.
Photo released by Hong Kong Government Flight Service shows a crew member being loaded onto a rescue helicopter as large waves crash into the sinking ships causing the ship to split in two.
The accident happened about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hong Kong.
Flight service did not say the name or origin of the ship. It said in a statement that crew members were negotiating difficulties caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Chabamaximum winds of 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour.
The storm made landfall in the western part of the coastal province of Guangdong late Saturday.
The Hong Kong Service sent two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters to join the rescue effort.