Chinese coast guard ships yesterday pulled 17 Filipino sailors, including two dead, from disputed waters in the South China Sea after a cargo vessel capsized, China’s military said.
The Singapore-flagged M/V Devon Bay and its crew of 21 Filipino sailors sent a distress signal at about 8:30pm on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
China’s Southern Theater Command said the ship “lost contact approximately 55 nautical miles northwest of Huangyan Island [黃岩島],” China’s name for the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
Photo: AP
The fish-rich island is a flashpoint of sometimes violent standoffs between the Philippines and China, which both claim the shoal and its waters as part of their territory.
The area is about 260km off the coast of the northern Philippines.
“Two nearby Chinese Coast Guard vessels immediately went to help with rescue upon receiving orders,” the Southern Theater Command said on Weibo.
“As of 12:30pm, 17 people had been rescued, of whom 14 are in stable condition, 2 have tragically died, and 1 is currently receiving treatment,” the post said.
The search and rescue operation for the remaining four crew members was continuing as of press time last night.
Photos released by China’s embassy in Manila showed the rescued Filipino sailors, whose vessel was believed to be carrying iron ore from the Philippines to China, receiving medical treatment.
The Philippine Coast Guard said its vessels were headed to the area where the vessel had capsized, adding that the ship’s position was “within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.”
The ship was already listing 25°C when it called for help, it said.
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