The Vietnamese cargo ship Khoi Nguyen 18 sank in the South China Sea near Fiery Cross Reef, also known as the Nansha Islands, on the evening of July 25, 2026. The 70-meter vessel, with a gross tonnage of approximately 999 tons, went down during bad weather with 62 crew aboard, according to Vietnam's Foreign Ministry and other sources [1, 2, 3, 4].
The ship’s distress flare was detected by the Chinese salvage vessel Nanhai Jiu 115 shortly after the sinking. The Chinese vessel rescued 29 crew members found on a life raft [1, 2, 5]. China then deployed multiple vessels and helicopters to assist the joint search and rescue operations with Vietnam [2, 5].
By late July 26 or early July 27, between 44 and 47 crew members had been rescued by combined Chinese and Vietnamese forces. Helicopters and ships conducted ongoing searches for the remaining missing personnel [1, 2, 4, 6, 5]. Estimates vary, but between 15 and 18 crew members remain unaccounted for following the sinking [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The area near the Spratly Islands where the ship sank is a disputed territory claimed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei, complicating maritime operations in the region [2, 3, 4]. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang confirmed the vessel sank amid poor weather conditions in the East Sea and said Vietnam deployed search-and-rescue forces supported by Chinese ships near the site [2, 3]. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China responded promptly with rescue vessels and helicopters after receiving the distress signals [5].
The search and rescue efforts continued through July 27, involving Chinese, Vietnamese, and Philippine maritime forces working to locate the missing crew [1, 5]. The coordinated operations aim to rescue survivors and recover those still missing in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
