Vietnamese vessel sinks in South China Sea, 17 missing

Rescuers are searching for 17 people missing after a Vietnamese cargo ship, the Khoi Nguyen 18, sank in the South China Sea. The vessel encountered trouble near Yongshu Reef, also known as Fiery Cross Reef, in what authorities described as bad weather conditions.

Authorities in China's Hainan province reported the incident, stating that 45 of the 62 crew members on board were rescued. A Chinese rescue ship first detected a distress flare shortly before 6:30 pm on Saturday. The Khoi Nguyen 18 is a Vietnamese-registered ship approximately 70 meters long.

Six Chinese vessels, a helicopter, and a Vietnamese ship are participating in the search and rescue operations. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang confirmed the sinking occurred while the ship was operating in bad weather. Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, a claim contested by several neighboring countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

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sank while operating in bad weather conditions in the East Sea