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Rescue teams are searching for 17 people who remain missing after the shipwreck of a Vietnamese-flagged vessel in the busy waters of the South China Sea, while another 45 have been rescued alive since Saturday night, July 25, according to Chinese state television CCTV.
Chinese authorities detailed that the cargo ship Khoi Nguyen 18, which was carrying 62 Vietnamese citizens, declared an emergency in waters near Fiery Cross Reef, CCTV added.
A distress flare was first spotted on Saturday afternoon, July 25, by the Chinese rescue vessel Nanhai Jiu 115, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The Chinese vessel located a life raft with 29 people approximately 38 nautical miles north of Fiery Cross Reef.
Two additional rescue missions brought the total number of people recovered to 45.
Currently, two rescue vessels and a helicopter are participating in the search for the 17 missing individuals.
The Vietnamese-flagged vessel measures almost 70 meters in length and has a gross tonnage of 999 metric tons.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that, immediately after the incident occurred, Vietnamese authorities coordinated closely and immediately went to the scene.
"Vietnam deployed search and rescue operations with the support of Chinese salvage forces and vessels near the area," a spokesperson told local media, thanking China for the support provided.
The area surrounding the reef is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, known in China as Nansha Islands, an archipelago of reefs, islets, and atolls in intense dispute within the South China Sea, a resource-rich region.
China claims sovereignty over almost all of this strategic waterway, including the Spratlys, where it has built airstrips and insularized and militarized artificial land.
These territorial claims overlap with those of Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei.
