A multinational search operation involving Vietnamese, Philippine and Chinese rescuers pressed on Sunday for 17 crew members still missing after a Vietnamese cargo ship carrying 62 people sank in stormy weather in the disputed South China Sea.
The vessel, identified as the Khoi Nguyen 18, went down late Saturday near Fiery Cross Reef, a Chinese-built island and military outpost in the contested Spratly Islands. Rescuers had recovered 45 crew members by Sunday, while 17 remained unaccounted for.
The ship “sank while operating in bad weather conditions in the East Sea,” Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said, using Hanoi’s name for the waterway.
The Philippine Coast Guard deployed a patrol vessel and an aircraft to assist after receiving a request from Vietnam. Chinese rescue ships and helicopters, along with other vessels transiting the area, also joined the operation. Vietnamese authorities said fishing boats had taken part in the search and that the families of those on board had been notified.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the agency was coordinating with Vietnam’s coast guard “for other operational information needed to guide the search and rescue response.” She added that a search planning system was being used to improve the chances of locating the missing crew, and that a navigational warning had been issued urging ships in the area to keep watch and assist where safe.
The operation was being carried out under international maritime agreements and bilateral cooperation between Manila and Hanoi, a rare instance of coordinated action in waters otherwise marked by competing sovereignty claims.
The Spratly Islands are claimed in whole or in part by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Fiery Cross Reef has been transformed by Beijing into one of its most heavily fortified artificial islands, equipped with an airstrip and radar installations.
The rescue effort unfolded against a backdrop of persistent friction in the region. Recent months have seen repeated flashpoints, including confrontations near Scarborough Shoal where vessels traded blame over water cannon incidents.
Search teams were racing against continued rough seas to locate the remaining crew. Authorities have not released a full breakdown of the nationalities of those on board or the cause of the sinking, and further details are expected as the operation continues.