Rescue teams from Vietnam and China are searching for 23 people who remain missing after a Vietnamese cargo vessel, Khoi Nguyen 18, sank in the South China Sea near Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands. The vessel, carrying 62 Vietnamese nationals, encountered distress on Saturday, with 39 people rescued as search operations continue.
According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, a distress flare from the vessel was first spotted by the Chinese rescue ship Nanhai Jiu 115, prompting an immediate emergency response. Chinese authorities deployed six rescue vessels, a helicopter and other emergency assets, while a Vietnamese rescue ship also joined the operation to search for the missing crew members.
The Khoi Nguyen 18, a Vietnamese-registered cargo ship measuring nearly 70 metres in length, reportedly ran into trouble near Fiery Cross Reef, an area controlled by China but also claimed by several Southeast Asian nations. The cause of the sinking has not yet been determined, and authorities have launched an investigation while rescue efforts remain underway.
The incident occurred in one of the world’s most strategically important and disputed waterways. The South China Sea is claimed in whole or in part by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, with overlapping territorial claims making the region a frequent source of diplomatic and military tensions. Despite those disputes, Chinese and Vietnamese authorities have coordinated closely on the ongoing search-and-rescue mission.
Officials say the priority remains locating the missing crew members as quickly as possible. Rescue teams continue to comb the waters around the accident site, while families of those aboard await updates on the operation. Authorities have yet to announce what caused the vessel to sink.
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