4 dead Vietnamese fishermen found, 1 rescued plauged by Chanchu
(AP)
Updated: 2006-05-19 14:22
The bodies of four Vietnamese fishermen were pulled from the water and one
was found alive as the search continued for 22 others still missing after their
boats sank in Typhoon Chanchu, an official said Friday.
A wall of water
smashes against a pier at Shantou city, in southern China's Guangdong
province. Typhoon Chanchu slammed into China's southeastern coast, killing
16 people and forcing the evacuation of more than one million residents,
as torrential rains and winds caused landslides and
flooding.[AFP] |
The five were found Thursday by fellow fishermen who went looking for them,
said Nguyen Sau of the Quang Ngai border control.
"If they have lifeboats, the possibility of them being alive and rescued is
higher," Sau said of the 22 still missing, adding that the weather has improved
but the sea is still rough.
A total of 11 boats and 94 fishermen from central Quang Ngai got caught in
the typhoon and lost radio contact Wednesday morning. They resumed communication
later that evening after seven boats reached the island safely. It was unclear
when the other four boats sank.
The fishermen told officials they tried to avoid the typhoon, but later got
caught up in it when the storm changed course.
Vietnam has asked China to help search for the missing, and to allow the
Vietnamese fishermen to patrol area to look for survivors, Sau
said.
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