About thirty missing after a boat split in two by the storm near Hong Kong

July 2 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Hong Kong rescue teams have launched an operation to locate the approximately 30 passengers and crew of a ship that has split in half in the midst of the storm caused by typhoon ‘Chaba’.

The Hong Kong Government Aviation Service has reported the dispatch of rescuers to the scene of the incident and the rescue of up to three people until 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to Hong Kong public television, RTHK.

Survivors have recounted how they clung to the remains of the ship and have confirmed that other passengers have been swept away by the waves. An airplane and two helicopters, as well as a boat from the Nanhai Rescue Bureau, are involved in the rescue.

The ship was very close to the eye of the typhoon, about 300 kilometers from Hong Kong, making rescue efforts difficult. “Bad weather makes work very difficult,” explained the Hong Kong agency.