China rescues 13 Filipino sailors in disputed South China Sea

The Chinese Coast Guard on Friday rescued 13 sailors from the Philippines in the disputed waters of the South China Sea after their cargo vessel capsized.

The ship, Singapore-flagged M/V Devon Bay, sent a distress call on Thursday evening, the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed.

China’s embassy said the ship “capsized 55 nautical miles northwest of China’s Huangyan Dao”, using Beijing’s name for the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

This area is about 261 kilometres (162 miles) off the coast of the northern Philippines.

“China Coast Guard immediately dispatched two vessels to the site for search and rescue. As of now, 13 crew members have been rescued, and rescue operations are ongoing,” the embassy said Friday.

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The Chinese Embassy later released photos that showed the sailors, who were carrying iron ore in the vessel from the Philippines to China, receiving medical treatment.

The fish-rich Scarborough Shoal is a flashpoint of sometimes violent standoffs between the Philippines and China, which both claim the shoal and its waters as part of their territory.

A Philippine Coast Guard statement said the country’s own vessels were headed to the area where the vessel had capsized, noting the ship’s position was “within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone”.

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The ship was already listing 25 degrees when it called for help, it added.

With inputs from agencies