Search for 17 missing sailors continues after Vietnamese cargo ship sinks in South China Sea

Search and rescue teams are continuing their efforts to find 17 missing sailors after a Vietnamese cargo ship sank in the South China Sea. The vessel, Khoi Nguyen 18, was carrying 62 crew members when it encountered difficulties and went down near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands on Saturday evening.

By Sunday afternoon, 45 survivors had been located and rescued. All individuals on board were Vietnamese nationals. Vietnam's foreign ministry stated that the ship sank while operating in adverse weather conditions. The ongoing search for the remaining crew members is being supported by Chinese rescue forces, utilizing ships and helicopters, as well as by vessels present in the vicinity of the accident.

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sank while operating in bad weather

The rescue operation commenced around 6:25 p.m. Beijing time on Saturday when the Chinese salvage vessel Nanhai Jiu 115 detected distress signals. Approximately half an hour later, the Chinese ship rescued 29 individuals found on a life raft. Later that evening, other Chinese rescue ships recovered a raft carrying seven more people, and two additional individuals were saved by a helicopter the following morning.

The incident occurred during the peak of the typhoon season. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the changing weather and sea conditions significantly complicated the rescue efforts.

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with assistance from Chinese rescue forces – using ships and helicopters – and from vessels near the area of the accident