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Eight missing on sea amid tropical storm Parma

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-15 21:37

NANNING: Eight fisherman remained missing Thursday after their boats were destroyed by strong winds after tropical storm Parma came two days ago.

Two fishing boats from southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region sank near an island in Vietnam while seeking shelter from the storm Tuesday, said emergency response office of the government of Guangxi.

Violent winds at the speed of more than 118 kilometers per hour hurled the boats and threw the 13 sailors on board the two boats into water.

Related readings:  Tropical storm Parma causes heavy losses in South China  Tropical storm Parma makes havoc in S China  Storm Parma churns south China, 3 dead  Parma leaves 3 deaths as it lands in south China One dead, 3 missing as storm Parma lands in S. China

One fisherman was rescued Wednesday by a passing Japanese ship.

As of Thursday, five fishermen had been rescued. Helicopters and searching vessels were still trying to locate the eight missing people.

In south China's Hainan Province, rescuers have recovered the bodies of three victims after a boat capsized due to the landing of tropical storm Parma on Monday morning.

Parma had inflicted heavy economic losses in Hainan and forced more than 7,600 people to relocate.

The tropical storm also brought wind and rain to China's coastal regions of Guangdong and Fujian provinces and to Taiwan.