The Hong Kong Government Aviation Service (GFS) said the ship sank 300 kilometers, or 185 miles, southwest of the island.
In a post on its Instagram account, GFS said it received a rescue request at 7:25 a.m. local time on Saturday. It said the ship’s crew abandoned the ship after it suffered major damage in the South China Sea.
An exciting video clip from the rescue operation showed a crew member being pulled by rope to a helicopter from the ship as it sank.
Three crew members have been rescued, but the fate of the remaining 27 people on board remains unclear, GFS said, adding that severe weather conditions are hampering search and rescue operations.
The Secretariat added that four helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft had been deployed to the site to conduct search and rescue operations.
The storm caused disruptions across the region, with flights canceled and some businesses closed due to strong winds and torrential rain.
Hong Kong authorities issued a typhoon warning on Thursday, during the upcoming visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The grand opening of the new Hong Kong Palace Museum that was supposed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the city’s handover from British to Chinese rule has been postponed until Sunday due to the storm.
Chaba arrived in Guangdong Province in China at about 3 p.m. local time (3 a.m. ET).