Vietnam finds body of victim in sunken ship incident

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, crew members on Nanhai Jiu 115, a rescue vessel operated by the Nanhai Rescue Bureau of China's Ministry of Transport, pick up crew members of Vietnamese vessel Khoi Nguyen from a life raft in the South China Sea on July 25, 2026. - Sansha Maritime Safety Administration//Xinhua

HANOI: Vietnamese authorities recovered the body of one victim from the sunken Khoi Nguyen 18 vessel in the South China Sea, local media Thanh Nien reported Friday, citing Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Hang said on Thursday that 48 Vietnamese crew members were safely brought ashore and reunited with their families on Wednesday, following coordinated rescue efforts by Vietnamese and Chinese authorities, the report said.

Search and rescue teams are working to locate the remaining crew members, Hang added.

Hang thanked China and the Philippines for their active support in the search and rescue operation.

The Khoi Nguyen 18, a Vietnamese-flagged ship, was carrying 62 people when it sank while operating in unfavorable weather conditions in waters near Yongshu Reef of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea. Enditem - Xinhua