At least 23 missing in South China Sea after Vietnamese vessel sinks, rescuers search for survivors

Jerusalem Post/World NewsAuthorities have already pulled 39 people from the water.Follow us on GoogleA China Coast Guard ship navigating near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, as Philippine Coast Guard aircraft carrying journalists patrols the area, days after two Chinese vessels collided in the area while allegedly trying to block a Philippine supply mission, in the South China Sea, August 13, 2025.(photo credit: REUTERS/Adrian Portugal)ByREUTERSJULY 26, 2026 07:47Rescuers were searching on Sunday for 23 people missing after a Vietnamese ship sank in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, while 39 were pulled from the waters, China's state broadcaster CCTV said.Authorities in the southern province of Hainan said the cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18, with 62 Vietnamese nationals aboard, ran into distress in waters near Fiery Cross Reef, CCTV added.A distress flare from the vessel was first spotted by a Chinese rescue ship, the Nanhai Jiu 115, on Saturday evening, CCTV said.Six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter, and a Vietnamese vessel joined the search and rescue effort at the site, it said.The Vietnamese-registered vessel is nearly 70 m. long with a gross tonnage of 999 tons.A China Coast Guard ship is seen in the South China Sea on June 15, 2026. (credit: JAM STA ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)China claims sovereignty over waterwayThe area around the reef is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, which China calls the Nansha Islands, a group of highly contested reefs, islets, and atolls in the resource-rich South China Sea.China claims sovereignty over almost the entire strategic waterway, including the Spratly Islands, 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.Follow us on Google