Speaking to VietNamNet on the afternoon of July 26 about the sinking, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said that, according to information from Vietnamese authorities, the Khoi Nguyen 18 had 62 people on board when it sank while operating in bad weather in the East Sea.

Immediately after the incident, Vietnamese authorities urgently deployed forces and worked in close coordination to reach the scene. With support from Chinese search-and-rescue forces, including vessels and helicopters, as well as ships operating near the site of the accident, Vietnam carried out rescue operations. By noon on July 26, 45 people had been rescued alive.

Authorities and fishing vessels are continuing intensive efforts to search for those still missing, while rescue measures and assistance for Vietnamese citizens remain ready for immediate deployment. Relevant agencies have promptly informed the victims’ families and are providing continuous updates on the search-and-rescue operation and subsequent measures to bring the citizens safely ashore.

“We would like to thank the relevant Chinese authorities for their swift assistance to Vietnam in the search-and-rescue operation, and hope that the two sides will continue to coordinate closely in searching for those who remain missing,” the spokesperson said.

Chinese media reported that on the previous evening, a Chinese rescue vessel detected a distress signal from a ship in trouble at sea. Vietnam and China then mobilized resources to coordinate search-and-rescue operations at the scene.

Tran Thuong