The Chinese Coast Guard launched a rescue effort to save Filipino sailors near the disputed Scarborough Shoal after their cargo ship capsized with 21 people on board.
China and the Philippines were searching for survivors in the South China Sea on Friday after a vessel carrying 21 Filipinos on board capsized near the disputed Scarborough Shoal overnight.
“Two nearby Chinese Coast Guard vessels immediately went to help with rescue upon receiving orders,” Chinese military said in an online post.
“As of 12:30 PM, 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 incident occurred about 55 nautical miles (101 kilometers) northwest of Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing seized from the Philippines in 2012.
What do we know about the Chinese rescue operation?
The Philippine Coast Guard said that the vessel was a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship with a Philippine crew on board.
The boat was headed to the southern Chinese city of Yangjiang, loaded with iron ore.
China’s military said that it received the report of the boat capsizing around 1:30 a.m. local time on Friday (17:30 p.m. GMT Thursday).
A Chinese aircraft was deployed to conduct searches while the Chinese Coast Guard sent two vessels for the rescue operation.
The Philippines said it had sent two vessels and two aircraft for the efforts.
Why is the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea so important?
The South China Sea is one of Asia’s most contentious geopolitical flashpoints.
China has asserted its sovereignty over large swaths of the South China Sea, with conflicting claims coming from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Brunei.
Both China and the Philippines claim the Scarborough Shoal as their territory. The Philippines calls the Scarborough Shoal “Bajo de Masinloc” whereas China refers to the area as Huangyan Island.
The Philippines has accused China of colliding its ships into Philippine Coast Guard vessels near the shoal, whereas China has said it has used lawful means to drive foreign ships away from its territory.
The Scarborough Shoal is rich in marine life, including commercially important species such as tuna and mackerel. In addition, the disputed South China Sea region as a whole has significant oil and natural gas reserves.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
DW News
