Seventeen people are missing after a Vietnamese-registered cargo ship sank in the South China Sea, with 45 of the 62 people on board rescued, Vietnamese authorities said. The Khoi Nguyen 18 ran into trouble near Yongshu Reef, also known as Fiery Cross Reef, in China’s island province of Hainan, according to Chinese state media.
A Chinese rescue ship, the Nanhai Jiu 115, spotted what was believed to be a distress flare from the vessel shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday. The ship, which is just under 70 metres (230 feet) long, was carrying 62 people. Six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter and a Vietnamese vessel were involved in the search-and-rescue operation, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
The incident occurred in one of the world’s most contested waterways. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, despite a 2016 international ruling, brought by the Philippines, that rejected China’s expansive claims. The Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in China, are among the most heavily disputed areas.
China has built runways and militarised artificial islands there. Beijing’s claims overlap with those of several other countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.