Local authorities said on Friday that 56 fishermen were missing in southern China's Hainan Province as typhoon Neoguri approached the region.

The local fishing office lost contact with the 56, who were on three boats sheltered at a reef area of the Xisha Archipelago, on Thursday evening, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

A rescue team was dispatched at 11:00 AM on Friday, said Chen Chuangfu, deputy director of the provincial marine and fishery department.

More than 80,000 fishermen on all the 21,825 fishing boats in Hainan had found shelter at harbors and reef areas by Friday as the typhoon's center moved northwest at 10 kilometers per hour on Friday morning, the headquarters said.

Neoguri was forecast to land in the coastal area between Sanya and Wenchang cities, Hainan, on Friday night or Saturday morning.

It is expected to drop 40 to 90 millimeters of rain on Hainan and Guangdong provinces. The heaviest downfall is expected to be 180 millimeters in southern Hainan, according to the provincial observatory.

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2008)