48 survivors from sunken Vietnamese ship on way back to mainland

HANOI, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Forty-eight people rescued from the sunken Vietnamese ship Khoi Nguyen 18 in the South China Sea are on their way back to the mainland, local daily the Voice of Vietnam reported Tuesday, citing the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the ministry's citizen protection update, as of Monday afternoon, a total of 48 people had been rescued in the search and rescue operation.

Vietnamese authorities have received all survivors who were rescued and provided with medical care by the Chinese side, the ministry said.

Vietnamese authorities are continuing the search to locate those who remain missing, said the report.

The Vietnamese-flagged ship Khoi Nguyen 18, carrying 62 people, sank while operating in unfavorable weather conditions in waters near Yongshu Reef of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.