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

Rescuers are scouring the South China Sea for 23 people missing after a Vietnamese cargo vessel sank, while 39 others were pulled from the water. The vessel, identified as Khoi Nguyen 18, was carrying 62 Vietnamese nationals when it ran into distress near Fiery Cross Reef.

A distress flare from the ship was first spotted by a Chinese rescue vessel on Saturday evening. A coordinated search and rescue operation is underway, involving six Chinese vessels, a helicopter, and a Vietnamese ship. The area where the incident occurred is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, a region with overlapping sovereignty claims by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire strategic waterway, including the Spratlys, where it has established military outposts on artificial islands. The sinking highlights the ongoing tensions and maritime activity in this resource-rich and strategically vital sea.

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Rescuers were searching on Sunday for 23 people missing after a Vietnamese ship sank in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, while 39 were pulled from the waters.