Search for 17 Missing Sailors Continues After Vietnamese Cargo Vessel Capsizes in the South China Sea

Vietnamese authorities confirmed that the cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 sank in the South China Sea near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands on Saturday evening, leaving 17 crew members missing.

All 62 seafarers aboard the Vietnamese ship were nationals of Vietnam.

As of Sunday afternoon, search-and-rescue teams had rescued 45 survivors from the water, while the hunt for the remaining crew members continued, CCTV reported.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry stated that the vessel sank during a period of adverse weather and that the rescue effort was being supported by Chinese forces using ships, helicopters, and nearby vessels.

The operation began around 6:25 p.m. Beijing time on Saturday after the Chinese salvage vessel Nanhai Jiu 115 detected distress signals, and the ship recovered 29 people from a life raft about 30 minutes later.

Chinese rescue vessels picked up a second raft carrying seven survivors later that evening, and a helicopter saved two additional crew members the following morning.

CCTV added that the incident occurred at the height of typhoon season and that the changing weather and sea conditions significantly hampered the rescue.

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