More than two dozen crew members died after an industrial support vessel broke in two during a storm in the South China Sea, Hong Kong emergency services said.
Planes and helicopters were sent to the scene by the authorities to rescue the crew. But, as of 5:30 p.m. local time, only three of the 30 workers on board had been brought to safety.
Helicopter crew members winch a man from a sinking ship in the South China Sea
(AP)
The Hong Kong Government Flying Service has shared photos from the rescue mission, which appear to show a crew member being carried on a rescue helicopter as colossal waves battered the ship which had broken into two parts.
A rescue team approaches a sinking ship near Hong Kong
(AP)
The incident is believed to have happened about 300 km (186 miles) south of Hong Kong.
The ship, which has not been named, was caught in a severe tropical storm, which was blowing gusts of up to 10 km/h (68 mph). The ship ran into trouble when her crew members tried to get out of the bad weather.
The storm made landfall in the western part of the coastal province of Guangdong later Saturday. The Hong Kong Rescue Service sent two planes and four helicopters for the rescue effort.
With additional reporting from The Associated Press
The Independent Gt