56 fishermen missing as 6 confirmed dead
Xinhua, October 5, 2013
An injured fisherman is transferred to a hospital after arriving at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 3, 2013. By Oct. 4, 56 fishermen remain missing as 6 confirmed dead after the typhoon struck last Sunday.[Xinhua/Zhang Yongfeng]
Rescuers yesterday retrieved the bodies of two more fishermen from the South China Sea in the aftermath of Typhoon Wutip, while 56 remain missing after the typhoon struck last Sunday.
Six bodies have been found to date.
Rescuers extended search areas and launched underwater searches yesterday, said Chen Zhirong, vice governor of south China’s Hainan Province.
Police had identified the bodies of three of the six fishermen by yesterday morning.
“We have informed their families of the sad news and we will help them deal with the aftermath,” said Chen Jialin, vice mayor of Jiangmen City in Guangdong Province, who is now in Hainan to help arrange for rescued fishermen to return home.
At 4am, 54 fishermen from Jiangmen started the journey home by bus and were expected to arrive late night, according to Chen.
They were among 268 fishermen caught in the South China Sea by Wutip and rescued by a naval ship sent by the Chinese government.
The injured are receiving hospital treatment, while more ships have been sent to search for the missing 56, who were aboard three fishing boats that sank near Shanhu Island in the Xisha Islands on Sunday afternoon.
According to the Hainan Maritime Search and Rescue Center, 11 navy warships, eight civilian ships and 10 aircraft are searching.
Five boats were caught in Typhoon Wutip last Sunday, said the center. The fishermen moored in a lagoon, but their boats capsized.
Wutip packed winds of more than 151 kilometers per hour at its eye.
Another typhoon, Typhoon Fitow is set to enter the East China Sea today.
