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Rescue teams are searching for 23 missing crew members after a Vietnamese cargo vessel sank in the South China Sea, according to Chinese state media.
The ship, identified as Khoi Nguyen 18, was carrying 62 crew members when it encountered trouble near Yongshu Reef on Saturday evening. So far, 39 people have been rescued.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported that a distress signal from the vessel was detected shortly before 6:30 pm, prompting an immediate rescue response. The search operation now involves six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter, and one Vietnamese ship, according to Xinhua.
Authorities in Hainan said the vessel is a Vietnamese-registered cargo ship measuring just under 70 metres in length.
There has been no immediate comment from Vietnam Foreign Ministry regarding the incident.
The accident occurred in a highly contested region, where China claims nearly the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling rejecting its assertion.
Several countries—including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan—also have overlapping claims, particularly over the resource-rich Spratly Islands.
Search efforts are ongoing as rescuers race against time to locate the missing crew.