South China Sea search for missing sailors continues

A Chinese search-and-rescue mission for 23 sailors missing after their Vietnamese-flagged vessel sank in the South China Sea is continuing, according to a report by China Central Television. As of Sunday, thirty-nine other crew members had been rescued.

The ship, KHOI NGUYEN 18, carrying 62 crew members, sank on Friday night. The stranded crew drifted on life rafts with ocean currents toward the waters near Yongshu Reef off the Nansha Islands, according to the report citing the Sansha maritime search and rescue branch.

The rescue vessel Nanhaijiu 115 picked up 36 crew members after spotting life rafts while another three sailors were rescued later, bringing the total number of confirmed survivors to 39 as of Sunday morning.

The Sansha branch is coordinating with other agencies in an extensive search-and-rescue operation for the 23 missing crew.