Strong wind and huge waves has hampered the rescue efforts to
send food and fresh water to more than 300 Chinese and foreign
fishermen, who were forced to ground in southern China's Nansha
Islands to escape stormy seas caused by Typhoon Hagibis.
As the wind runs at speed of more than 80 kilometers per hour
and raised waves as high as more than five meters, the rescue boat
sent by the Hainan Maritime Affairs Bureau have to be anchored on
Sunday morning in the place about 10 nautical miles (18.52
kilometers) away from the rescuees, whose food and fresh water only
enough for two more days.
"It's too dangerous to sail ahead now. But once the weather
condition allows, we will continue to carry out our mission," said
Peng Jianbo, captain of the rescue boat.
Sources from the provincial observatory said on Sunday that
Hagibis has weakened to tropical storm and its eye is moving
eastward at a speed of 10 kilometers.
"The rescue boat may try to get close to the islands on Sunday
night or Monday morning," said Xie Chunfu, an official with the
Hainan Maritime Affairs Bureau.
Among the fishermen safely docked at Nansha, the southernmost
point in China, at least 250 were Chinese. The remainder included
30 Filipinos and seven Vietnamese. The typhoon, the 25th of the
year, has left the islands facing food and drinking water
shortages.
Hagibis, meaning "rapidity" in the Filipino language Tagalog,
blew into the South China Sea Wednesday and intensified into a
typhoon a day later.
(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2007)
