Cargo Ship Sinks Near Reef
Forty-five people were rescued after a Vietnamese cargo ship sank in rough weather near Yongshu Reef in the South China Sea, with teams searching for 17 others still missing.
Footage released on Sunday shows survivors drifting in liferafts before being pulled aboard a Chinese rescue vessel. Wrapped in blankets, they received food and recovered as crews coordinated the operation.
The Vietnamese-registered Khoi Nguyen 18 was carrying 62 people when it sank near the reef, also known as Fiery Cross Reef. A Chinese rescue vessel spotted a distress flare on Saturday evening before finding a liferaft carrying 29 survivors. Further operations brought the number rescued to 45 by midday Sunday.
Search Operations Continue
Chinese vessels and a helicopter joined Vietnamese rescuers and other ships in the area as the search continued. Vietnam thanked China for its assistance and said officials were keeping the victims’ families informed.
The incident happened near the disputed Spratly Islands, where China’s territorial claims overlap with those of Vietnam and several other governments.
South China Sea Rescue Bureau via CGTN
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