Rescuers on Sunday intensified efforts to locate 17 people still missing after a Vietnamese cargo vessel carrying 62 people went down in rough weather in the disputed South China Sea.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry confirmed that emergency teams were deployed after the cargo ship, Khoi Nguyen 18, sank while navigating turbulent waters in the area Vietnam refers to as the East Sea.
Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said the vessel “sank while operating in bad weather conditions in the East Sea”.
The South China Sea remains one of the world’s most disputed waterways. China claims almost the entire sea, known in Vietnam as the East Sea, despite an international tribunal ruling that Beijing’s sweeping claim has no legal basis. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of the sea, including the resource-rich Spratly Islands.
According to Hang, rescue operations involving Vietnamese authorities, “with ‘the support of Chinese rescue forces, including ships and helicopters’,” had saved 45 of the 62 people aboard by noon (0500 GMT) on Sunday.
She added that authorities and nearby fishing vessels were “actively searching for the remaining people”.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the Khoi Nguyen 18 encountered difficulties near Yongshu Reef, also called Fiery Cross Reef, in the Spratly Islands.
Although Fiery Cross Reef is occupied by China, it is also claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines.
China’s state news agency Xinhua reported that a Chinese rescue vessel detected what was believed to be a distress signal from the Vietnamese cargo ship on Saturday evening.
According to Xinhua, six Chinese rescue vessels, a helicopter and one Vietnamese ship were participating in the search-and-rescue mission.
Marine Traffic, a global ship-tracking platform, identifies the Khoi Nguyen 18 as a Vietnamese-registered cargo vessel measuring just under 70 metres long.
Meanwhile, another maritime accident occurred in the Spratly Islands on Friday when a Vietnamese fishing boat capsized in severe weather.
Vietnamese state media reported that 33 fishermen were rescued, while three others remain unaccounted for.
The state-run Tuoi Tre News said the fishing vessel was overwhelmed by strong winds, took on water and sank on Friday morning. Nearby fishing boats quickly joined rescue efforts.
By about 9:00 p.m. on Friday, rescuers had recovered 33 fishermen roughly 15 nautical miles west of the sinking site.
The survivors were transported to Da Tay (West Reef), a Vietnamese-controlled atoll in the Spratly Islands, where they received medical treatment and were reported to be in stable condition.
According to the report, the three missing fishermen were “clinging to plastic containers” and were not wearing life jackets after abandoning the vessel.
The South China Sea remains one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimating that more than 25 per cent of global trade passed through the waterway in 2024.
The region is also strategically important because of its vast oil and gas reserves. China has expanded several reefs under its control in the Spratly Islands, constructing military infrastructure, including air bases, naval facilities and runways capable of handling military aircraft.
Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia have also reinforced their presence in the Spratly archipelago over the decades by deploying troops and building airstrips to support their territorial claims.
