At least two dead after cargo ship capsizes near disputed islands in South China Sea

At least two crew members were reported dead after a cargo vessel carrying 21 Filipino sailors capsized near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, triggering search-and-rescue operations on Friday.

The Chinese military said it received a report at around 1.30am on Friday that a foreign cargo vessel was in distress in waters near the shoal. It said 17 crew members were rescued, and two of them later died. Four are still unaccounted for.

The military deployed an aircraft to search the area, while the Chinese coast guard sent two vessels to support the rescue operation.

The Philippines coast guard (PCG) said it had sent two ships and two aircraft to assist the Filipino crew members aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo ship carrying iron ore and bound for the southern Chinese port of Yangjiang.

The vessel overturned about 55 nautical miles (101km) northwest of Scarborough Shoal.

“The PCG command centre acquired information from the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre that 10 of the 21 Filipino crew members were rescued by a passing China Coast Guard vessel,” it said earlier.

Scarborough Shoal is among the most hotly disputed maritime features in the region and has long been a flashpoint over sovereignty claims and fishing rights in the South China Sea. The waters around the shoal are where Chinese and Philippine vessels regularly confront each other. Both countries assert claim and maintain patrols in the area, which is also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

The PCG said it continued to “closely monitor the situation and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of the remaining crew members”, according to spokesperson, Captain Noemie Cayabyab.

This comes after China summoned the Philippine ambassador in Beijing, Jaime Florcruz, over a social media post made by the Philippine coast guard officer Commodore Jay Tarriela. The social media post allegedly included cartoonish images of Chinese president Xi Jinping, according to reports.

“It must be stressed that the Philippine side has long turned a blind eye to its coast guard ‘spokesperson’ making inflammatory, confrontational, misleading and baseless remarks against China on maritime issues. China does not accept that.

“Time for the Philippine side to undo the negative impact as soon as possible and stop tolerating the smear campaign and provocations, lest they disrupt normal diplomatic communication or further harm bilateral relations,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a 21 January briefing, according to Rappler.

In response, Mr Tarriela said, "threatening a public servant for telling the truth will not intimidate us".