The cargo ship KHOI NGUYEN 18 sank in the South China Sea, with 45 of the 62 Vietnamese citizens rescued and 17 still missing.
KHOI NGUYEN 18 Sinks in the South China Sea: 17 People Missing
The cargo ship KHOI NGUYEN 18, carrying 62 Vietnamese citizens, sank near the disputed Spratly Islands. Search and rescue teams have rescued 45 people from the sea, while efforts continue for the 17 missing individuals.
Registered in Vietnam, KHOI NGUYEN 18 sank after signaling distress near the Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea. Of the 62 people on board, 45 were rescued. Chinese and Vietnamese teams are continuing their operations in the area to locate the 17 missing persons.
The distress signal from the ship was first noticed by the Chinese search and rescue vessel NANHAI JIU 115. Six Chinese ships, one helicopter, and one Vietnamese vessel participated in the operation. The KHOI NGUYEN 18, approximately 70 meters long, has a gross tonnage of 999 GT.
The cause of the accident has not yet been determined. There has been no official statement regarding the possibilities of weather conditions, hull damage, cargo shift, stability issues, or machinery failure. The timeline between the sighting of the distress signal and the sinking of the ship will also be one of the important parts of the investigation.
Fiery Cross Reef is part of the Spratly Islands, where sovereignty claims of China and Vietnam conflict. Nevertheless, the cooperation of the search and rescue units from both countries in the same operation demonstrates that maritime rescue missions can transcend political disputes. While maps may argue, sailors cannot wait.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
