Beijing ( CNN ) -- Seventy-two people are missing after three Chinese fishing boats sank in the South China Sea amid stormy weather caused by a typhoon , state media reported . Two of the vessels foundered Sunday afternoon as they battled gales about 330 kilometers from the Chinese island of Hainan , the state-run news agency Xinhua reported . The third one sank Monday morning , it said . As of Tuesday morning , rescuers had retrieved 16 survivors , the state-run China News Service reported , citing the Hainan government . Rescue operations have been hampered by strong gales and rough seas . A total of five fishing boats with 171 crew aboard had been caught in the storm , the Hainan Maritime Search and Rescue Center said , according to Xinhua . The two other vessels managed to survive the harsh conditions . All three boats that sank were from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong . President Xi Jinping urged local authorities to do their utmost to find the missing or stranded and minimize casualties , '' state media reported . Xi also ordered the armed forces and central government departments to help in the rescue effort . The storm , Typhoon Wutip , made landfall in central Vietnam late Monday . Authorities there relocated tens of thousands of people from areas at risk as the storm approached . 22 dead after boat capsizes near Indonesia . 38 dead after Philippines boat collision . CNN 's CY Xu in Beijing and Elizabeth Joseph in Hong Kong contributed to this report .
NEW : Sixteen people have been rescued as of Tuesday morning , state media report . The rescue operation is ongoing and the number could rise further in coming hours. Typhoon Wutip made landfall on Vietnam 's central coast late Monday .