The number of survivors of a cargo ship that sank off a Chinese-occupied shoal in the South China Sea rose to 48 as search and rescue crews hunted for more people who went down with the vessel.
A multinational search for 14 people who remain missing was still underway Tuesday afternoon involving Vietnamese, Philippine and Chinese rescuers.
Vietnamese authorities announced Monday that three more of the 62 people onboard had been saved.
The Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 sank late Saturday near Fiery Cross Reef, a Chinese-built island and military outpost in the hotly contested Spratly Islands.
The vessel went down while operating in bad weather in the East Sea, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said, adding that all 48 rescued people had been transferred to Vietnamese authorities, who were providing medical care before taking them back to the mainland.
Vietnam said it mobilised rescue operations immediately while coordinating closely with Chinese rescue ships, helicopters and other vessels in the area.
The Philippine Coast Guard, which deployed a patrol vessel and an aircraft after receiving a request from Vietnam, said the operation was being carried out under international maritime agreements and bilateral cooperation with Vietnam. — AP
