Typhoon Chanchu kills 104 in Asia, scores missing

HANOI: A typhoon that raked the South China Sea has killed at least 104 people, and Vietnamese officials said on Saturday that more than 160 fishermen were still missing and feared dead.

Typhoon Chanchu, the strongest on record to enter the South China Sea in May, the start of the storm season, left a trail of destruction through China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

It killed at least 37 people in the Philippines last weekend. By late Friday, bodies of 44 Vietnamese fishermen were found by Vietnamese and Taiwanese rescuers after Chanchu, the Chinese word for 'pearl' moved west briefly before changing course to head north, sweeping away dozens of Vietnam's ships in its path.

The typhoon, with winds up to 170 kmph, killed 23 people in China after it slammed into the southern coast on Thursday and moved north where it weakened.

In Vietnam five fishing ships sank off the central city of Danang with 122 crew members, and rescuers have found 20 bodies and rescued 30 others, said Tran Van Huy, director of the city's Fisheries Department.

"The toll of 20 is preliminary, while the loss of lives will be huge," Huy said over telephone. "We also have five more ships missing with 97 people."

A Red Cross Association official in Quang Ngai province said bodies of five fishermen were recovered. State media on Saturday said another 19 fishermen from Quang Nam province were killed. Vietnamese officials said Chanchu's toll was high because fishermen had tried to avoid the typhoon by sailing north, not anticipating that the typhoon would change direction.