Rescuers scour South China Sea for 23 missing after Vietnamese vessel sinks

Rescuers are searching the South China Sea for 23 missing individuals after a Vietnamese cargo vessel sank, with 39 others pulled from the water, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV. The incident occurred in a busy waterway near Fiery Cross Reef.

The Vietnamese-registered vessel, Khoi Nguyen 18, was carrying 62 Vietnamese nationals when it encountered distress in waters near Fiery Cross Reef. A distress flare from the ship was first spotted by a Chinese rescue vessel, the Nanhai Jiu 115, on Saturday evening. The ship is approximately 70 meters long with a gross tonnage of 999 tons.

A joint search and rescue effort is underway, involving six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter, and a Vietnamese vessel. The area around Fiery Cross Reef is part of the Spratly Islands, a highly contested group of reefs, islets, and atolls in the resource-rich South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire strategic waterway, including the Spratlys, where it has established runways and militarized artificial islands.

Beijing's expansive claims in the South China Sea overlap with those of Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei, making the region a persistent source of geopolitical tension.