This handout photo taken on July 17, 2012 and released by the Philippine military’s Western Command (WESTCOM) shows Chinese fishing vessels anchored at Fiery Cross Reef (Kagitingan) on the disputed Spratly islands. The Spratly islands are claimed partially or in their entirety by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
BEIJING — Rescuers are searching for 23 missing people after a Vietnamese ship carrying 62 crew members sank in the South China Sea, Chinese state media reported Sunday morning.
The cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 encountered trouble near Yongshu Reef, also known as Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef, with 39 people rescued, state broadcaster CCTV reported. /dl
READ: 12 bodies found after South China Sea typhoon shipwreck–official
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A Chinese rescue vessel first spotted what was believed to be a distress signal from the endangered ship shortly before 6:30 pm on Saturday (1030 GMT), state news agency Xinhua said.
Six Chinese vessels and a rescue helicopter as well as one Vietnamese vessel were conducting search and rescue operations in the area, Xinhua said.
According to authorities in the Chinese island province of Hainan, the Khoi Nguyen 18 is a Vietnamese-registered ship measuring just under 70 meters in length, Xinhua added.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
READ: Chinese maritime patrol aircraft spotted on Kagitingan Reef
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Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
Vietnam, along with the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan, have competing claims to areas of the busy waterway, including the Spratlys, which are believed to sit on vast oil and gas resources. /dl
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