Strong wind and huge waves has hampered the rescue efforts to send food and fresh water to more than 300 Chinese and foreign fishermen, who were forced to ground in southern China's Nansha Islands to escape stormy seas caused by Typhoon Hagibis.

As the wind runs at speed of more than 80 kilometers per hour and raised waves as high as more than five meters, the rescue boat sent by the Hainan Maritime Affairs Bureau have to be anchored on Sunday morning in the place about 10 nautical miles (18.52 kilometers) away from the rescuees, whose food and fresh water only enough for two more days.

"It's too dangerous to sail ahead now. But once the weather condition allows, we will continue to carry out our mission," said Peng Jianbo, captain of the rescue boat.

Sources from the provincial observatory said on Sunday that Hagibis has weakened to tropical storm and its eye is moving eastward at a speed of 10 kilometers.

"The rescue boat may try to get close to the islands on Sunday night or Monday morning," said Xie Chunfu, an official with the Hainan Maritime Affairs Bureau.

Among the fishermen safely docked at Nansha, the southernmost point in China, at least 250 were Chinese. The remainder included 30 Filipinos and seven Vietnamese. The typhoon, the 25th of the year, has left the islands facing food and drinking water shortages.

Hagibis, meaning "rapidity" in the Filipino language Tagalog, blew into the South China Sea Wednesday and intensified into a typhoon a day later.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2007)