Rescuers search for 23 people after the Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 sinks in the South China Sea, Chinese state media reports. The vessel encounters distress near Fiery Cross Reef, also known as Kagitingan or Yongshu Reef, in waters associated with the Spratly Islands. According to CCTV, the ship is carrying 62 Vietnamese nationals. Initial reports say 39 crew members are pulled from the water. Other outlets citing the same CCTV update describe the search as continuing for the remaining missing crew. Some reporting later cites a higher interim number of survivors, but all accounts attribute the figures to CCTV reports and describe an ongoing operation to locate those still unaccounted for. The incident occurs after the vessel gets into trouble on Saturday evening. Authorities and search-and-rescue teams keep scanning the area around the reef as they try to determine whether additional survivors can be found. The reported missing count remains central to the updates, with officials indicating that the search is ongoing.
Vietnamese cargo vessel sinks in South China Sea; 23 reported missing
Rescuers search for 23 people after the Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 sinks in the South China Sea, Chinese state media reports. The vessel encounters distress near Fiery Cross Reef, also kno...
- A Vietnamese cargo vessel, Khoi Nguyen 18, sinks in the South China Sea near Fiery Cross Reef (Kagitingan/Yongshu Reef).
- Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reports the ship carries 62 Vietnamese nationals.
- Rescue teams pull 39 people from the water, according to CCTV-cited reports.
- 23 people are reported missing, with searches continuing.
- The distress occurs on Saturday evening, and ongoing updates are provided via CCTV.
Search and rescue teams from Vietnam, the Philippines and China are continuing efforts to locate 14 people still missing after a Vietnamese cargo ship sank near Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday.Vietnamese authorities said the number of survivors has risen to 48 after three more people were rescued on Monday. A total of 62 people were on board the vessel.Ship went down in bad weatherThe Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 sank late Saturday near Fiery Cross Reef, a Chinese-built island and military outpost in the disputed Spratly Islands.According to Vietnam's Foreign Ministry, the ship encountered bad weather while operating in the East Sea. All 48 rescued crew members have been handed over to Vietnamese authorities for medical treatment before being transported back to the mainland.The Number of People Rescued from the distressed #Vietnamese vessel rises to 48; All Survivors Rescued by the Chinese Side have been Transferred to Vietnamese Vessels. #Rescue #China pic.twitter.com/0r5UlNHP9V— South China Sea Observer (@SCSObserve) July 28, 2026Khoi Nguyen 18, a general cargo ship built in 2017, was last detected near Vietnam in March through its automated identification system (AIS), according to ship tracking platform MarineTraffic. Under a United Nations maritime safety treaty signed by Vietnam, large cargo ships are required to keep their AIS transponders switched on at all times to broadcast the vessel's identity, position and course.Multinational search underway amid regional tensionsVietnam said it launched rescue operations immediately after the incident and has been coordinating with Chinese rescue ships, helicopters and other vessels involved in the search.The Philippine Coast Guard, which deployed a patrol vessel and an aircraft following a request from Vietnam, said the operation was being conducted under international maritime agreements and bilateral cooperation with Vietnam.India Backs Construction Of Secondary School Building In Remote Western Nepal With NPR 75 Million GrantThe sinking occurred in the South China Sea, where China claims nearly the entire waterway despite overlapping claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Around $5 trillion worth of global trade passes through the strategic route annually, which is also believed to contain significant undersea oil and gas reserves.
1 month agoThe number of survivors of a cargo ship that sank off a Chinese-occupied shoal in the South China Sea has risen to 48 as search and rescue crews hunt for more people who went down with the vessel
1 month agoHANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The number of survivors of a cargo ship that sank Saturday off a Chinese-occupied shoal in the South China Sea rose to 48 by Tuesday as search and rescue crews hunted for more people who went down with the vessel.
1 month agoThe search continues for more than a dozen people after 48 people were rescued from a Vietnamese cargo vessel that went down in the South China Sea.
1 month agoThe search continues for more than a dozen people after 48 people were rescued from a Vietnamese cargo vessel that went down in the South China Sea.
1 month ago
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