Vietnam fishing vessel sinks in South China Sea, 27 missing

December 16, 2010 A Vietnam registered fishing vessel sank Thursday in the South China Sea, leaving at least 27 fishermen missing. Chinese state media and officials have revealed that the vessel capsized and sank in high winds.

Reports reveal that the name of the vessel is "Phu Tan", however the reports did not state the nationalities of the fishermen. The Phu Tan sank 185 kilometres (115 miles) west of located in China's.

Both China and Vietnam have sent rescue vessels to assist the fishermen. An officer at the Hainan maritime safety administration was quoted as saying, "We received a message asking for help from the vessel today. It has 27 fishermen on board." An official from Vietnam's National Search and Rescue Committee also said, "We just sent our vessels to look for it a few hours ago. This ship belongs to us." The official also revealed that the ship was a container ship.