Cargo Vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 Capsizes in South China Sea; 17 Still Missing

The search for 17 Vietnamese nationals is ongoing in the South China Sea after the cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 capsized there. The vessel was carrying a total of 62 people, 45 of whom have been rescued.

Fire Fighting Vessel NAN HAI JIU 115, image credit:dantri.com.vn

The vessel ran into distress near Fiery Cross Reef and sent out a distress flare on 25 July. The flare was first spotted by a Chinese rescue vessel, the Nan Hai Jiu 115. Vietnam deployed a search-and-rescue mission. Following this, six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter, and a Vietnamese vessel joined the effort.

Twenty-nine people were found aboard a life raft and pulled from the water. More people were rescued in further missions, bringing the total number rescued to 45.

The Khoi Nguyen 18 is a Vietnamese-flagged general cargo vessel built in 2017. It has a length of 69.86 metres, a beam of 10.8 metres, and a gross tonnage of 999.

The area around Fiery Cross Reef forms part of the disputed Spratly Islands, claimed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. Despite overlapping claims, states often cooperate in search-and-rescue operations.