More than 20 fishing boats and freight vessels belonging to Guangdong Province were trapped on the South China Sea after strong tropical storm Hagupit arrived there early Thursday morning.

By late Thursday, over 200 people were in danger, including 30 who were still missing, said local sources.

Sources from Typhoon Control Headquarters with the Guangdong Provincial General Office of Fishing Administration said they began to receive reports from endangered fishing boats as early as Wednesday morning, when the first effects of the storm began to be felt.

As the calls for help came in, the On-the-Sea Salvage Center of Guangdong Province quickly appealed to organizations, including some in Hong Kong, to help rescue the endangered vessels.

The China Fishing Administration dispatched two ships from Guangdong's Zhuhai and Taishan to the troubled waters, and a third vessel is waiting to be sent out from Shenzhen.

The Navy also sent out helicopters to help the rescue work, while powerful non-governmental fishing boats in Jiangmen and Yangjiang, both in Guangdong, were organized to join the operations.

The rescue efforts are still going on, said local sources.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2002)