Speaking on the evening of July 30, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang provided an update on search and rescue efforts involving the Vietnamese crew of the Khoi Nguyen 18.

She said that on the afternoon of July 29, all 48 rescued Vietnamese crew members safely returned to shore and were reunited with their families. They had been rescued through coordinated efforts by Chinese and Vietnamese authorities after the vessel encountered an accident at sea.

Vietnamese authorities have since recovered the body of one victim.

Search, rescue and recovery operations remain underway as Vietnamese authorities continue efforts to locate the remaining missing crew members with the highest level of determination.

"Alongside the Chinese authorities, search and rescue operations on site have also involved the participation of Philippine authorities in coordination with Vietnamese forces. We sincerely appreciate the attention and active support provided by our international friends in these search and rescue efforts," Pham Thu Hang said.

According to the Office of the National Steering Committee for Civil Defense, as of the afternoon of July 29, a total of 47 vessels from Vietnam, China and the Philippines had been deployed in the search operation.

Vietnamese search teams recovered one body on July 29. As of the latest official update, 13 people remain missing.

Tran Thuong