Vietnam Cargo Ship Sinks In South China Sea: 48 Rescued, Search On For 14 Missing

Search and rescue teams from Vietnam, the Philippines and China are continuing efforts to locate 14 people still missing after a Vietnamese cargo ship sank near Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday.
Vietnamese authorities said the number of survivors has risen to 48 after three more people were rescued on Monday. A total of 62 people were on board the vessel.

Ship went down in bad weather

The Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 sank late Saturday near Fiery Cross Reef, a Chinese-built island and military outpost in the disputed Spratly Islands.
According to Vietnam's Foreign Ministry, the ship encountered bad weather while operating in the East Sea. All 48 rescued crew members have been handed over to Vietnamese authorities for medical treatment before being transported back to the mainland.

Khoi Nguyen 18, a general cargo ship built in 2017, was last detected near Vietnam in March through its automated identification system (AIS), according to ship tracking platform MarineTraffic. Under a United Nations maritime safety treaty signed by Vietnam, large cargo ships are required to keep their AIS transponders switched on at all times to broadcast the vessel's identity, position and course.

Multinational search underway amid regional tensions

Vietnam said it launched rescue operations immediately after the incident and has been coordinating with Chinese rescue ships, helicopters and other vessels involved in the search.
The Philippine Coast Guard, which deployed a patrol vessel and an aircraft following a request from Vietnam, said the operation was being conducted under international maritime agreements and bilateral cooperation with Vietnam.

The sinking occurred in the South China Sea, where China claims nearly the entire waterway despite overlapping claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Around $5 trillion worth of global trade passes through the strategic route annually, which is also believed to contain significant undersea oil and gas reserves.