A major search and rescue operation is underway in the South China Sea after a Vietnamese registered cargo vessel sank in waters near the disputed Spratly Islands, leaving dozens of crew members missing in one of the region’s busiest shipping corridors.

Chinese authorities in the southern province of Hainan said the vessel, identified as the Khoi Nguyen 18, ran into distress with 62 Vietnamese nationals on board before going down in the area near Fiery Cross Reef, known to China as part of the Nansha Islands.

According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, a distress flare from the sinking ship was first spotted on Saturday evening by a Chinese rescue vessel, the Nanhai Jiu 115, prompting an immediate mobilisation of search and rescue assets to the scene.

Six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter and a Vietnamese ship subsequently joined the operation, working through the night and into Sunday morning to pull survivors from the water. As of the latest update, authorities said 39 people had been rescued from the sea, while 23 crew members remained unaccounted for as the search continued.

The Khoi Nguyen 18 is described as a Vietnamese registered vessel measuring nearly 70 metres in length with a gross tonnage of 999 tonnes. The waters where it went down sit within the Spratly Islands, a cluster of reefs, islets and atolls at the centre of one of Asia’s most contentious territorial disputes, with China claiming sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea despite competing claims from Vietnam, the Philippines and several other neighbouring countries.

Beijing has in recent years built runways and militarised several artificial islands across the contested waters, a development that has repeatedly strained relations with rival claimant states.

Search and rescue efforts remained ongoing as of Sunday, with Chinese maritime authorities coordinating closely with Vietnamese teams in the hunt for the missing crew members. No official explanation has yet been given for what caused the vessel to founder, and further updates are expected as recovery operations continue in the area.

Photo Credit: Nst