Watch: Typhoon Chaba snaps ship into two in Hong Kong

Search for more than two dozen crew members whose ship broke in half and sank after being caught near the center of Typhoon Chaba was under way on Saturday, according to the Hong Kong search and rescue authorities.

One crew member was winched up to a rescue helicopter as waves lashed the sinking vessel which had split in two.

As per reports crew members encountered difficulty as a result of the typhoon which was reaching maximum winds of 110 kilometres per hour.

The statement did not disclose the name and origin of the ship, but said that about 30 crew members abandoned the ship, approximately 300 kilometres (186 miles) southwest of Hong Kong, during Typhoon Chaba.

Hong Kong authorities raised the typhoon warning on Thursday as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the city to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its handover from Britain to China.

Typhoon Chaba brought heavy rain and wind to the city, restricting public transport and forcing many businesses to close.

Also Watch| Hurricane Agatha: strongest hurricane recorded in May hits Mexico, floods entire village