Twenty-seven people are missing after a floating crane sank in waters off the coast of south China's Guangdong Province on Saturday morning, according to the provincial maritime search and rescue center on Sunday.

At 3:50 a.m. on Saturday, the floating crane was found via monitoring system to have had dragged its anchor and was in danger after its mooring chain broke while avoiding typhoon Chaba in waters near the city of Yangjiang.

Three people were rescued around noon on Saturday, but 27 others fell into water and are missing, the center said.

Search and rescue efforts are ongoing. Thirty-eight rescue boats have participated in the rescue, and the search area has reached 700 square nautical miles, according to the center.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Saturday upgraded its emergency response for flood and typhoon control to Level III.

Chaba, the third typhoon of the year, made landfall in the coastal area of Maoming City in Guangdong at around 3 p.m. Saturday. It is expected to bring intense downpours and strong winds to the southern part of the country and the South China Sea.

(With input from Xinhua)