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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PCG deploys ship, aircraft to search for 17 missing Vietnamese sailors after cargo vessel sinks near Kagitingan Reef

PCG deploys ship, aircraft to search for 17 missing Vietnamese sailors after cargo vessel sinks near Kagitingan Reef

Published Jul 27, 2026 12:08 pm

At A Glance

  • The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed BRP Malapascua and a patrol aircraft to search for 17 missing crew members of the Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18, which sank near Kagitingan Reef in the West Philippine Sea.
  • The PCG is coordinating with the Vietnam Coast Guard and using its Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System to identify the most probable search areas. It also issued navigational warnings and radio advisories to passing vessels to assist in the operation.
  • The search mission is being conducted under international maritime rescue agreements, including the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue and UNCLOS, as well as the Philippines and Vietnam's bilateral maritime cooperation framework.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) mobilized a patrol vessel and an aircraft to search for 17 missing crew members of a Vietnamese cargo ship that sank near Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered the deployment of BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403) and a PCG air asset from Palawan after the Vietnamese cargo vessel “Khoi Nguyen 18” sank on the evening of July 25.
The search and rescue (SAR) operation was conducted by the PCG after the Vietnamese Coast Guard reported that 45 of the ship's 62 crew members had been rescued while 17 remained missing.
“The PCG Command Center is coordinating closely with the Vietnam Coast Guard for other operational information needed to guide the search and rescue response,” PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said on Monday, July 27.
BRP Malapascua departed from Ulugan Bay in Palawan, about 345 nautical miles from Kagitingan Reef. It is expected to arrive at around 5 a.m. on July 28, although it could arrive earlier depending on sea conditions, according to the PCG.
A PCG aircraft will also conduct aerial searches over the area.
“We are also utilizing the Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System to guide responding assets and improve the probability of locating the missing persons,” Cayabyab said, referring to the PCG’s computer-based search planning tool that helps SAR personnel determine where missing people or vessels are most likely to be located.
The PCG also issued a navigational warning directing ships passing through the area to keep a vigilant lookout and assist in the search when it is safe and practical to do so.
The PCG said it was also broadcasting radio advisories to transiting vessels to help expand the search for possible survivors.
The operation, according to the PCG, highlighted the continuing maritime cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam despite overlapping interests in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), specifically in the Spratly Islands.
Kagitingan Reef is located approximately 103 nautical miles away from Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the WPS but it was reclaimed and militarized by another claimant-country - China.
The PCG noted that the SAR mission is being carried out under the principles of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in line with the Philippines and Vietnam's bilateral maritime cooperation framework and commitments under the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum.

Related Tags

PCG Kagitingan Reef WPS Vietnam search and rescue
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