45 Rescued, 17 Missing After Vietnamese Cargo Ship Sinks

Rescuers pulled 45 people from the South China Sea on Sunday, July 26, 2026, following the sinking of a Vietnamese cargo ship near Fiery Cross Reef, while 17 crew members remained missing. The vessel, the Khoi Nguyen 18, was carrying 62 Vietnamese nationals when it went down in poor weather conditions.

The alarm was raised at approximately 6:23 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 25, when a Chinese rescue ship, the Nanhai Jiu 115, sighted what was assessed to be a rocket parachute distress flare. Vietnamese authorities stated their agencies moved to the scene as soon as the loss was reported. The subsequent search and rescue operation involved six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter, and at least one Vietnamese ship, with Vietnamese fishing vessels in the area also assisting.

The Khoi Nguyen 18 is a Vietnam-flagged general cargo vessel built in 2017, measuring 69.9 meters in length. The reported crew of 62 is notably high for a coastal cargo ship of its size, but neither Vietnamese nor Chinese authorities have explained who else was aboard, what cargo it carried, or its intended destination. No confirmed death toll has been released, and no bodies have been reported recovered.