Vietnamese ship sinks in South China Sea, 23 missing

Rescuers are searching for 23 people missing after a Vietnamese ship sank in the crowded South China Sea waterway, pulling 39 people from the water.

Authorities in the southern province of Hainan said the cargo ship Khoi Nguyen 18, with 62 Vietnamese citizens on board, was in danger in waters near Fiery Cross Reef, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said.

CCTV said the distress flare from the ship was first noticed by the Chinese rescue ship Nanhai Jiu 115 on Saturday evening.

It was stated that six Chinese ships, a rescue helicopter and a Vietnamese ship participated in the search and rescue efforts in the region.

The Vietnam registered ship is approximately 70 meters long and has a gross tonnage of 999 tonnes.

The area around the reef is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, which China calls the Nansha Islands, a highly contested collection of reefs, islets and atolls in the resource-rich South China Sea.

China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire strategic waterway, including the Spratlys, where it has built runways and militarized artificial islands.

But Beijing’s sweeping claims overlap with those of Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.