GUANGZHOU, (Xinhua) — Chinese military forces have rescued 17 Filipino crew members from a shipwreck in the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said on Friday.As of 12:30 p.m. Beijing time, 14 of the rescued sailors were reported to be in stable condition, one remains in critical care, and two were confirmed dead. Four crew members are still missing.
According to the command, the incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, when a foreign cargo ship traveling from the Philippines to south China’s Guangdong Province tilted and lost contact. The vessel was carrying 21 crew members and was located approximately 55 nautical miles northwest of Huangyan Dao.
After receiving an alert in the early hours of Friday, the PLA Southern Theater Command deployed military aircraft to conduct aerial searches in the area. Two nearby China Coast Guard vessels were also dispatched to participate in the rescue operation. Chinese maritime authorities have since sent additional rescue forces to the scene, and search and rescue efforts are continuing, the command added.
