appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Khushboo Razdan

Yuanyue Dang

Search and rescue teams continued searching for 17 missing sailors on Sunday after a Vietnamese cargo vessel sank in the South China Sea, Chinese state media reported.
The Khoi Nguyen 18 had 62 crew members on board when it ran into difficulty and sank near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands on Saturday evening.
As of Sunday afternoon, 45 survivors had been rescued and the search for the others was continuing, state broadcaster CCTV reported. All those on board were Vietnamese nationals.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry said the vessel “sank while operating in bad weather”, adding that the search for survivors was being carried out “with assistance from Chinese rescue forces – using ships and helicopters – and from vessels near the area of the accident”.
The rescue operation began around 6.25pm Beijing time on Saturday after the Chinese salvage vessel Nanhai Jiu 115 spotted distress signals.


The Chinese ship rescued all 29 people aboard on a life raft about half an hour later, and Chinese rescue ships picked up a raft carrying another seven people later in the evening while a helicopter saved another two people the following morning.
The accident happened at the height of the typhoon season and CCTV said changing weather and sea conditions significantly increased the difficulty of the rescue operation.
The Vietnamese authorities said they had informed the sailors’ families and would issue “updates on the search and rescue situation and subsequent measures to bring citizens ashore safely”.
The foreign ministry said: “We would like to express our gratitude to the Chinese authorities for promptly assisting the Vietnamese side in search and rescue efforts, and hope the two sides will continue to cooperate closely to search for the remaining people.”
CCTV, citing the Hainan provincial authorities and the Sansha Maritime Search and Rescue Sub-Centre, reported that six Chinese vessels, one Chinese rescue helicopter and one Vietnamese vessel were involved in the initial search.
It said that the helicopter and two Chinese ships remained at the scene on Sunday evening.
The sinking took place in a strategically sensitive part of the South China Sea, where territorial claims by China, Vietnam and other regional governments overlap.
Fiery Cross Reef – known as Yongshu Reef in China and Da Chu Thap in Vietnam – is controlled by Beijing and garrisoned by Chinese troops.


Why younger Filipinos are warming to China despite maritime tensions

Why Brunei prefers ‘quiet diplomacy’ over confrontation in South China Sea

Xi and Trump face their greatest challenge yet: building US-China trust

Success of Xi-Trump summit lies in what happens afterwards

South China Sea

Search for survivors continues as 45 rescued after cargo ship sinks in South China Sea

Some of the survivors were picked up from life rafts. Photo: CCTV

Is China’s massive island-building push at Antelope Reef nearing the finish line?

New satellite images show China has built a long, reinforced quay on Antelope Reef’s lagoon. Photo: EU

Blue cylindrical storage silos have appeared at what looks like a concrete production plant on Antelope Reef, suggesting that construction may be moving into the heavy infrastructure phase. Photo: Open Source Centre

Vietnam tourist speedboat capsizes, killing 15 Indian tourists

The coast and clear waters of Phu Quoc island, southern Vietnam. 15 Indian tourists drowned off the coast of Vietnam’s largest island on Saturday, after their boat capsized. Photo: Shutterstock

News

China

Diplomacy

State media reported 17 Vietnamese crew members were missing after Saturday night’s accident near Fiery Cross Reef


State media reported 17 Vietnamese crew members were missing after Saturday night’s accident near Fiery Cross Reef.


Vietnam

Search for survivors continues as 45 rescued after cargo ship sinks in South China Sea

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}State media reported 17 Vietnamese crew members were missing after Saturday night’s accident near Fiery Cross Reef

State media reported 17 Vietnamese crew members were missing after Saturday night’s accident near Fiery Cross Reef