Chinese coastguard rescues Filipino sailors near Scarborough Shoal

The Chinese navy and coastguard said on Friday that they rescued 17 Filipino crew members from a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship that had capsized near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

According to the China Coast Guard (CCG), the Maritime Search and Rescue Centre in Sansha, Hainan province, received a distress report at around 1.30am on Friday.

The vessel appeared to be in trouble about 55 nautical miles northwest of Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China. The centre sent two coastguard vessels immediately to conduct rescue operations.

The ship had 21 Filipino crew members on board and by midday, 17 had been recovered. Fourteen were reported stable, two had died, and one remained in critical condition.

Four sailors were still missing, with search-and-rescue ‍efforts continuing.

The Southern Command Theatre of the People’s Liberation Army also said it deployed a military aircraft for search operations over the area.