Death toll from sunken Chinese boats up to 7

SEOUL - Two more bodies have been pulled out of waters off South Korea's southern island of Jeju after two Chinese fishing ships capsized on Tuesday in the wake of Typhoon Bolaven, the coast guard said Wednesday.

The bodies were found near the wreckage earlier in the day, raising the death toll to seven, according to spokesman Ko Chang- keon of the Seogwipo Coast Guar. Eight people remain missing.

The coast guard rescued 12 fishermen, and six others swam or were washed ashore.

Search efforts involving a helicopter and patrol boats will continue for the missing if circumstances permit, Ko said, as another typhoon is lumbering toward South Korea.  

Typhoon Bolaven, the hardest to hit South Korea in almost a decade, left 17 people dead, including the seven Chinese fishermen, after battering the country on Tuesday with strong winds and heavy rain as it moved along the west coast of the country.  

The powerful storm cut off power to hundreds of thousands of South Koreans, damaged property, and temporarily halted a major joint exercise between South Korean and US forces.  

South Korea is now on watch for another typhoon, Tembin, expected to bring downpours and gale-force winds to the country starting Thursday.  

The typhoon will pummel the country with downpours of more than 30 mm per hour, and in some regions, such as the south and west coasts as well as parts of Jeju island, heavy rainfalls of 150 mm are projected, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).