Chinese rescuers had saved 45 people by 15:00 Sunday from a Vietnamese vessel that sank near Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands of the South China Sea, according to the South China Sea Rescue Bureau.
Under the coordination of the Sansha Maritime Search and Rescue Center, various rescue forces successively rescued nine people on Sunday. The last one was found at 13:30 by the "Nanhai Jiu 113" vessel, and was successfully rescued at 13:41, bringing the total number of rescued people to 45.
Two rescue vessels and a rescue helicopter are still conducting searches for the 17 people still missing.
The Khoi Nguyen 18, a Vietnamese-flagged ship, was carrying 62 people, all Vietnamese nationals, when it sank while operating in unfavorable weather conditions in waters near Yongshu Reef.
At about 18:23 on Saturday, the "Nanhai Jiu 115," a rescue ship operated by the Nanhai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, spotted what was believed to be a rocket parachute distress signal from the distressed ship at sea.
According to the Sansha maritime search and rescue authorities, "Khoi Nguyen 18" measures 69.9 meters in length and 10.8 meters in beam, with a gross tonnage of 999.
45 rescued after Vietnamese ship sinks in South China Sea
