44 Rescued, 18 Missing After Vietnamese Ship Sinks

A Vietnamese-flagged cargo vessel carrying 62 crew members has sunk in the South China Sea near the disputed Spratly Islands, triggering a large-scale multinational search and rescue operation. Chinese rescue teams have pulled 44 survivors from the water, while 18 crew members remain missing as of Sunday afternoon.

The stricken vessel, identified as the “Khoi Nguyen 18,” a general cargo ship with a gross tonnage of 999, sank on the night of July 24 in waters near Yongshu Reef (Fiery Cross Reef) in the Nansha Qundao, according to CCTV News. All 62 crew members aboard are Vietnamese nationals.

How the Rescue Unfolded

The rescue operation began when the Chinese salvage ship “Nanhai Jiu 115,” operated by the Nanhai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, spotted a rocket parachute distress flare at approximately 6:23 p.m. on July 25. Survivors had been drifting on life rafts with ocean currents toward Yongshu Reef since their vessel went down the previous night.

According to Xinhua News Agency, 37 crew members had been rescued by 7:30 a.m. on July 26. That number rose to 39 by 10:00 a.m., and by 11:00 a.m., CGTN reported that 44 had been brought to safety. The Sansha Maritime Search and Rescue Sub-center in Sansha City, Hainan Province, is coordinating the overall response.

The rescue effort involves six Chinese vessels, one Chinese rescue helicopter, and one Vietnamese vessel working in coordination at the scene. The “Nanhai Jiu 115” is serving as the on-site command vessel for the joint operation.

Bilateral Coordination Amid Tensions

A notable feature of this rescue is the level of cooperation between China and Vietnam, two countries with competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. China and Vietnam have established a unified joint search and rescue command system for this incident, according to Sansha authorities. Rescue forces from both countries have demonstrated strong overall coordination, regional synergy, and efficient collaboration.

Despite ongoing tensions over sovereignty in the resource-rich waters of the South China Sea — where China claims almost the entire maritime area and has constructed artificial islands with military facilities — the two nations have maintained working-level cooperation on maritime search and rescue. This operational coordination builds on a prior agreement signed in 2000 that delimited the Beibu Gulf (Gulf of Tonkin) through bilateral negotiations.

Strategic Waters, Humanitarian Imperative

The incident occurred in the Spratly Islands, one of the most contested archipelagoes in the world. The area is claimed in whole or in part by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. The South China Sea is a critical maritime chokepoint through which approximately half of the world’s merchant ships and one-third of global maritime trade pass each year.

While this is first and foremost a humanitarian rescue operation, it highlights the vital importance of robust search and rescue infrastructure in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. China has developed significant maritime rescue capabilities in the region, including the deployment of specialized vessels like the “Nanhai Jiu 115” and a network of rescue coordination centers across the South China Sea.

What Comes Next

Search operations continue for the 18 missing crew members. The Khoi Nguyen 18, measuring 69.9 meters in length and 10.8 meters in beam, went down without issuing an apparent distress call, as the first indication of trouble was the visual sighting of a flare by the Chinese rescue ship. Questions remain about what caused the sinking — whether mechanical failure, adverse weather, or a collision — as no information about the cause has been released by authorities.

With each passing hour, the chances of finding the remaining missing crew diminish. The approaching Typhoon Noul, reported to be moving toward southern China, could further complicate search efforts in the coming days. The international community will be watching closely to see if this cooperative rescue effort can pave the way for broader dialogue between Beijing and Hanoi on maritime safety in these contested waters.