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.