BEIJING: Rescue teams are searching for 23 crew members after a Vietnamese cargo ship sank in the South China Sea near the Fiery Cross Reef, according to Chinese state media.
The vessel, Khoi Nguyen 18, carrying a total of 62 crew members, encountered difficulties near Yongshu Reef, known internationally as Fiery Cross Reef, on Saturday evening.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that 39 people had been rescued, while search operations were continuing for the remaining 23 missing crew members.
According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese rescue ship detected what was believed to be a distress signal from the cargo vessel shortly before 6:30 pm local time on Saturday, prompting an immediate emergency response.
The rescue effort involves six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter and one Vietnamese ship, which are jointly combing the area in an attempt to locate the missing sailors.
Authorities in China’s southern island province of Hainan said the Khoi Nguyen 18 is a Vietnamese-registered cargo vessel measuring just under 70 metres in length.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not issued an official statement on the incident at the time of reporting.
The sinking occurred in one of the world’s most strategically significant waterways. Rescue operations remain under way as authorities continue efforts to locate the missing crew members.
