12 bodies recovered after typhoon sinks vessel in South China Sea

Beijing, Jul 4 (EFE).- Twelve bodies were recovered Monday by local rescue forces in southeast China following a shipwreck in the South China Sea over the weekend, authorities confirmed.

On Saturday, a floating crane of an offshore wind farm sank in waters off the coast of south China’s Guangdong Province after it was struck by typhoon Chada and its mooring chain broke, Xinhua news agency reported.

The accident led to the disappearance of 27 people.

According to the Guangdong Maritime Search and Rescue Center, the bodies were found 50 nautical miles southwest of the site where the vessel sank, near the city of Yangjiang.

During Monday’s search and rescue operation, which is ongoing, four people were rescued while another 14 remain missing, Xinhua reported.

The news comes a day after Chinese authorities criticized Hong Kong for failing to prepare for the tropical storm and demanded an investigation into the incident which took place 300 kilometers southwest of the semi-autonomous city.

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said on Sunday that the accident had exposed weak links in typhoon safety management. EFE

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