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Vietnam on Sunday thanked China for its assistance in search and rescue operations after a Vietnamese cargo vessel, sank in the South China Sea, with 45 of the 62 people on board rescued as search efforts continued for the remaining crew, according to Xinhua news agency.
The Vietnamese vessel, 'Khoi Nguyen 18', was carrying 62 people when it sank in unfavourable weather conditions near Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, Xinhua reported. Chinese and Vietnamese rescue teams have mounted a joint operation involving multiple vessels and a rescue helicopter. According to Xinhua, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said Vietnamese authorities "launched rescue operations immediately after the incident" and coordinated closely with Chinese rescue forces and vessels operating near the scene. She thanked the Chinese authorities for their "prompt support in search and rescue operations" and expressed hope that " both sides would continue to coordinate closely in the search for those still missing." According to the Global Times, China dispatched six vessels and one rescue helicopter to assist in the operation, while seven Vietnamese ships also joined the on-site search and rescue effort. According to the report, "China and Vietnam have set up a joint, unified search and rescue command system," with the Chinese rescue vessel Nanhai Jiu 115 serving as the on-site commander. It added that "rescue forces from both countries have demonstrated strong overall coordination, regional synergy, and efficient collaboration", citing Sansha authorities. The Global Times further reported that Nanhai Jiu first rescued 29 Vietnamese nationals from a life raft on Saturday evening while returning to Sanya. The survivors informed rescuers that the Khoi Nguyen had sunk on Friday night about 220 nautical miles east of Vietnam's Khanh Hoa Province with 62 Vietnamese nationals on board. Following the alert, Chinese maritime search and rescue authorities activated an emergency response and established a unified command system with Vietnamese vessels operating in the area to coordinate the ongoing rescue mission, according to the Global Times. Search operations for the remaining missing crew members are continuing. (ANI)
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