A severe typhoon sunk three fishing boats in the South China Sea as the countries of Thailand and Vietnam prepared themselves for torrential rain and flooding.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, seventy-four Chinese fishermen went missing from their ships when they were struck by Typhoon Wutip on Sunday, as they floated close to the Paracel Islands.

A rescue group was able to save 14 people, and the boats were sailing from the southern province of Guangdong, stated the sources.

When Wutip made it to the land in Vietnam, the typhoon became weakened to a tropical storm, where its winds were clocked at 73 miles per hour. More than 1,000 homes were said to be damaged.

"We're expecting more floods. Soldiers have been asked to help evacuate people trapped in flood zones," Teerat Ratanasevi, a spokesperson of the government, told reporters on Monday.

Central Vietnam authorities have transported children and elderlies to schools and other solid buildings for their safety.

Typhoons gather strength from warm sea water and usually decrease in volatility upon reaching dry land. They are known to strike the Phillippines, Hong Kong, Japan and southern China during typhoon season, which usually begins early in the summer and goes until the late autumn.

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