A total of 48 people have been rescued after a Vietnamese cargo ship sank in the South China Sea, while search and rescue teams continue efforts to locate 14 others who remain missing. The vessel went down on Saturday amid bad weather conditions near Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands region. The Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 had 62 people onboard when it sank, according to authorities. By Tuesday, the number of survivors had increased to 48 after rescue teams recovered additional people from the sea.

The remaining 14 individuals are still unaccounted for, with operations continuing in the affected area. A multinational rescue effort involving Vietnamese, Philippine and Chinese teams has been underway to find the missing passengers. The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said the ship sank while operating in difficult weather conditions in the East Sea, the name used by Vietnam for the South China Sea. Vietnamese authorities said all 48 rescued individuals had been handed over to officials and were receiving medical attention.

Plans were being made to return them to the mainland after necessary health checks and assistance. The ship sank near Fiery Cross Reef, a Chinese-built island and military facility in the Spratly Islands, one of the most contested maritime regions in the world. The area is claimed partly or fully by several countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines, leading to frequent tensions over territorial rights. Vietnamese officials said the rescue operation remains focused on locating the missing individuals while coordinating with international teams.

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Search vessels and personnel from multiple countries have been involved as authorities race against time to find possible survivors. The Khoi Nguyen 18 was a general cargo vessel built in 2017, according to ship tracking platforms. The vessel was designed to transport various types of goods and had been operating in regional waters before the accident. According to MarineTraffic, a ship tracking platform, the vessel’s automated identification system (AIS) was last detected in March near Vietnam.

AIS systems are used by ships to transmit information such as location, speed and navigation details for safety and monitoring purposes. The sinking comes as maritime authorities across the region continue to face challenges posed by unpredictable weather conditions, particularly during periods of strong storms and rough seas. Cargo ships and fishing vessels operating in the South China Sea often encounter difficult conditions due to changing weather patterns.

Officials have not yet released detailed information about what caused the vessel to sink beyond the impact of severe weather. Investigations are expected once rescue operations are completed and authorities gather more information from survivors and available ship data. The search for the missing passengers remains the priority, with rescue teams continuing efforts across the waters near Fiery Cross Reef. Authorities have said updates will be provided as further information becomes available.

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