Crew Members Missing After Typhoon Breaks Up Ship

Three crew members were saved in dramatic rescues, but 27 more are missing after a ship broke up in a typhoon in the South China Sea near Hong Kong. Rescuers from the Honk Kong Government Flying Service were dispatched Saturday morning to search for survivors, using helicopters and planes. The operation is being impeded by the weather conditions, including strong winds and downpours, CNN reports. The service said the crew abandoned ship after it was caught near the middle of Typhoon Chaba, about 185 miles southwest of Hong Kong. The ship later sank.

State media in China called the vessel a floating crane and said a mooring chain had broken during the storm while the ship was anchored near the city of Yangjiang, per the Wall Street Journal. The storm made landfall Saturday afternoon, Chinese media reported, and as of Sunday morning was forecast to move north. Among the disruptions caused by the storm in the region was the postponement of a museum's grand opening. The new Hong Kong Palace Museum event marking the 25th anniversary of the city's change from British to Chinese rule was moved to Sunday. (More sinking stories.)