Fourteen people have been reported as missing after a cargo vessel sank in bad weather near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Friday, July 24.
The Vietnamese-flagged general cargo ship Khoi Nguyen 18 was underway near the Spratlys' Fiery Cross Reef when she sank on Friday night (local time).
The China Coast Guard and other agencies from China and Vietnam have since rescued 48 of the cargo ship's 62-strong crew. The first group to be rescued were 29 individuals who were found adrift in a liferaft by the crew of a China Coast Guard vessel on Saturday, July 25.
The other survivors were pulled out of the water by other coast guard vessels, a fishing vessel, and a helicopter. Forty-one survivors were later transferred to a Vietnam People's Navy vessel.
The search for the 14 missing crewmembers is still ongoing.
The Philippine Coast Guard is also assisting in the search effort, having deployed the Parola-class multi-role response vessel BRP Malapascua and a patrol aircraft to the waters off Fiery Cross Reef.
Khoi Nguyen 18's crew at the time of the incident were all Vietnamese nationals.
