At least 2 sailors dead after cargo ship sinks in disputed South China Sea | news

A Singapore-flagged cargo ship carrying 21 Filipino sailors capsized, killing two and leaving four missing.

At least two sailors have died and 15 have been rescued after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship carrying 21 Filipinos capsized. disputed water According to officials from China and the Philippines, four are missing in the South China Sea.

China’s Ministry of National Defense said the Chinese coast guard sent two vessels to help after the boat capsized about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Scarborough Shoal (known in China as Huangyan Dao) early Friday.

The Philippine Coastguard said in a statement on Friday that it has dispatched two ships and two aircraft to assist in the rescue of the crew of the cargo ship known as the Devon Bay.

Chinese rescuers pulled at least 17 Filipino sailors — 14 in stable condition, one undergoing treatment and two dead — from the water, according to a statement posted on social media network Weibo by China’s Southern Theater Command.

The Associated Press news agency reported that the ship lost contact Thursday night while en route to China’s southern Guangdong province.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore confirmed that the bulk carrier, Devon Bay, sank in the South China Sea while en route to Yangjiang.

“Due to the flag status of the vessel, the MPA is in touch with the vessel owner and relevant search and rescue authorities and is providing support as required,” he said, adding that it would investigate the incident.

The fish-rich area of ​​Scarborough Shoal is a frequent site of conflict between Chinese and Philippine vessels.

China and the Philippines both claim the area, but sovereignty remains unresolved. China took control in 2012 after denunciation and has since deployed its coastguard and fishing vessels there.

A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated China’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea and declared its blockade illegal, reaffirming the shoal as a traditional fishing ground for countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam. China rejected this decision.

China’s claims overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

In August, a Chinese navy ship accidentally collided with a Chinese coast guard ship while trying to intercept a Philippine coast guard vessel near Scarborough Shoal.