Vietnamese cargo vessel sinks in South China Sea - 17 missing

DPASun, July 26, 2026 at 5:18 PM UTC1 min readAdd Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.Key takeawaysPowered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

• A Vietnamese cargo vessel sank in the South China Sea, leaving 17 crew members missing and 45 others rescued in rough conditions near Fiery Cross Reef.
• Vietnamese authorities launched immediate rescue operations, coordinating with Chinese search-and-rescue forces and vessels operating nearby after the Khoi Nguyen 18 went down.
• The South China Sea, a busy shipping route, is subject to territorial disputes involving China, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries, with Vietnamese rescue forces and fishing vessels continuing search efforts for the missing crew members.

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A Vietnamese cargo vessel carrying 62 crew members sank in rough conditions in the South China Sea, leaving 17 people missing while 45 others were rescued, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The vessel, the Khoi Nguyen 18, went down while operating in bad weather near Fiery Cross Reef, a disputed area of the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said Vietnamese authorities launched rescue operations immediately after receiving reports of the incident, coordinating with Chinese search-and-rescue forces and vessels operating nearby.

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"As soon as the incident occurred, Vietnamese authorities closely coordinated and urgently deployed to the scene," Hang said. By midday Sunday, rescuers had saved 45 crew members, while search efforts for the remaining 17 continued, she said.

The South China Sea is one of the world's busiest shipping routes and is frequently affected by seasonal storms. It is also the subject of overlapping territorial claims involving China, Vietnam and several other Southeast Asian countries.

Vietnamese rescue forces and fishing vessels were continuing to search the area, while authorities were providing regular updates to the families of those aboard and preparing further assistance for survivors.

Hang thanked the Chinese authorities for their swift support in the rescue operation and expressed hope that both sides would continue working closely to locate those still missing.