Rescuers scour South China Sea for 17 missing after Vietnamese vessel sinks

Rescuers were searching on Sunday for 17 people missing after a Vietnamese ship sank in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, while 45 were pulled from the waters, China's state broadcaster CCTV said.



Authorities in the southern province of Hainan said the cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18, with 62 Vietnamese nationals aboard, ran into distress in waters near Fiery Cross Reef.



A distress flare from the vessel was first spotted by a Chinese rescue ship, the Nanhai Jiu 115, on Saturday evening

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Six Chinese vessels, a rescue helicopter, and a Vietnamese vessel joined the search and rescue effort at the site, it was confirmed



Vietnam's foreign ministry said that immediately after the incident occurred, Vietnamese authorities coordinated closely and promptly arrived at the scene.