A multinational search continued July 26 after the Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 sank in the South China Sea near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands.\n\nVietnam's foreign ministry said 45 of the 62 people reported aboard had been rescued and 17 remained missing. Vietnamese authorities said Chinese rescue vessels and helicopters joined the operation, illustrating the practical cross-border coordination required in a politically disputed maritime area.\n\nThe casualty figures changed during the first hours of the response as rescuers located survivors. Genuine Update is using the latest totals published by Vietnamese government sources and will revise the story if authorities release a materially different accounting.\n\nOfficials had not yet published a complete account of what caused the vessel to sink. The search-and-rescue facts should therefore be kept separate from unverified online claims about responsibility for the incident.\n\nSource: Government of Vietnam — https://baochinhphu.vn/bo-ngoai-giao-thong-tin-ve-cong-tac-cuu-ho-cuu-nan-tau-khoi-nguyen-18-gap-nan-tren-bien-102260726143933089.htm\n\nSource: Voice of Vietnam — https://english.vov.vn/en/politics/diplomacy/45-rescued-after-cargo-vessel-sinks-in-east-sea-search-continues-for-17-missing-post1318664.vov