At least 27 people were reported missing after a massive vessel with an engineering crane was dismantled and sank off the coast of south China on Saturday. Maritime search and rescue workers of Guangdong Province were able to retrieve 3 people from drowning in the water. As reported by Chinese government-run media, Xinhua, the incident took place around 3:50 am on Saturday morning after a floating crane dragged the ship's anchor into the water after it was uprooted while tackling gusty winds of typhoon Chaba in the Yangjiang city of the south Chinese province.

Assessment by authorities informed that the mooring chain of the crane broke, leading the entire structure to slide into the water. Rescue helicopters and merchant's vessels have been mobililised to search for missing persons, Xinhua reported. The 30-member crew abandoned the vessel, largely hindering efforts to locate and rescue them. This came as the gale from typhoon Chaba reached 68 miles per hour.

Noting forecasts of severe rainfall, weather experts on Saturday issued an 'orange' alert as the third typhoon of the year, Chaba formed its eye on the South China Sea. According to CGTN, the storm is heading northwest at a speed of 10-15 kilometres per hour, strengthening gradually. The typhoon made landfall in Guangdong province's Maoming city on Saturday afternoon, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement.

Recording the speed of the gale and subsequent developments, forecasters have warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall and high disaster risk in provinces, including Guangdong. The medium-intensity storm, however, is expected to lose strength over time. Nevertheless, the rains, predicted up to 600 mm, are expected to break the cumulative rainfall levels as it pulls monsoon winds in the inland region, chief of the forecast department Gao Shuanzhu said in a statement. Alerts have been issued in Guangdong, Guangxi- China's eastern autonomous region, and the island province of Hainan. There are also forecasts of a potential landslide causing intensity of rainstorms and urban waterlogging. Hainan, meanwhile, has suspended railway services and cancelled over 400 flights after upping its Emergency response to 'Level II.'