A desperate search was continuing on Monday for 26 crew members feared dead after their wind farm construction ship broke up off Hong Kong.
The vessel, named as the 204-metre Fu Jing 001, sank in tropical storm Chaba, 300 km (190 miles) from the Chinese territory on Saturday.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday that a fourth seafarer had been rescued, but hopes for the missing crew members were described as “slim”.
The China-flag crane vessel, whose ownership is unclear, was involved in building work at several offshore wind farms.
But TradeWinds is told the ship is actually the 47,800-dwt crane vessel Hua Jing 001 (built 1983).
It was recently converted at China Merchants Heavy Industry from the heavy load carrier Zhen Hua 20, which was itself converted in 2006 from an 84,000-dwt crude tanker built in Poland in 1983 as Fina Belgica.
Shipowner Shenzhen Huajing Ocean Technology has been contacted for comment.
The ship broke in two in wind speeds of 110 km per hour.
Two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters were sent to the scene by Hong Kong authorities.
The Hong Kong Government Flying Service released photos showing one crewman being winched onto a helicopter from the floating stern section of the vessel at the weekend.
Footage showed this part of the vessel later sinking in heavy seas.
First typhoon of 2022
The service said in a statement that crew members had been “negotiating difficulties” caused by the Chaba.
The storm made landfall in the western part of the coastal province of Guangdong later on Saturday and was upgraded to a typhoon.
Chaba is China’s first typhoon of the year. Forecasters have predicted it will bring record rainfall and high risks of natural disasters in areas such as heavily populated Guandong.
