Rescue teams were searching on Sunday for 17 people still missing after a Vietnamese cargo ship sank in the South China Sea, with 45 crew members rescued since the vessel sent out a distress signal the previous evening.
The Vietnamese-registered cargo ship, Khoi Nguyen 18, was carrying 62 Vietnamese nationals when it encountered trouble near Fiery Cross Reef, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV.
A distress flare from the vessel was first spotted on Saturday (25 July) evening by the Chinese rescue ship Nanhai Jiu 115. The crew located a life raft carrying 29 survivors about 38 nautical miles north of Fiery Cross Reef.
Additional rescue operations brought the number of people pulled from the water to 45. Two rescue vessels and a rescue helicopter remained at the scene on Sunday as the search continued for the remaining 17 people.
The vessel is nearly 70 metres (230 feet) long and has a gross tonnage of 999.
Vietnam's foreign ministry said its authorities responded immediately after the incident and worked closely with Chinese counterparts during the rescue effort.
"Vietnam deployed search and rescue operations, with the support of Chinese search and rescue forces and ships near the area," a foreign ministry spokesperson said, thanking China for its assistance.
The incident occurred near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands, known in China as the Nansha Islands, one of the most heavily contested areas in the South China Sea.
China claims sovereignty over most of the strategic waterway, including the Spratly Islands, where it has built military facilities on artificial islands. Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts of the archipelago.
Uzbekistan captain Eldor Shomurodov has been shortlisted for the Hyundai Goal of the Tournament award at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with his strike agai...
Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior ...
Firefighters battled on Sunday to contain wildfires threatening the outskirts of Bordeaux, as authorities expanded evacuation orders and warned the bl...
Russian authorities said 11 people, including four children, had been killed by Ukraine in an overnight attack on a holiday camp, accusing Kyiv on Saturday of deliberately targeting civilians.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
Six candidates vying to become the next United Nations Secretary-General have called for restoring the organisation's credibility, strengthening multilateralism and reforming the UN, during the first public town hall debate ahead of a decisive Security Council vote next week.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 25th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto recently offered the dismissed Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Mykhailo Federov an adviser role in Italy.
Uzbekistan captain Eldor Shomurodov has been shortlisted for the Hyundai Goal of the Tournament award at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with his strike against DR Congo named among the competition’s 12 best goals. The nomination places the Uzbek forward alongside some of world football’s biggest stars.
Firefighters battled on Sunday to contain wildfires threatening the outskirts of Bordeaux, as authorities expanded evacuation orders and warned the blazes were spreading rapidly during an intense heatwave across southern Europe.
A Romanian F-16 fighter jet pilot shot down a Russian drone over the Black Sea, the defence ministry said on Sunday. It was the latest in a series of airspace breaches by Russia that Romanian President Nicușor Dan called “inadmissible and intolerable.”
More than 16,000 people have been evacuated from their homes to safety in eastern Spain after a fast-moving wildfire in Castellón province spread beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain it.
One person has died and at least 16 others have been injured after a car drove into crowds during Berlin's annual Christopher Street Day (CSD) Pride celebrations, leading to a major police manhunt. Authorities have released an image of 21-year-old suspect Abdul B, who remains at large.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment