45 rescued after vessel sinks in East Vietnam Sea: foreign ministry

Khoi Nguyen 18 was carrying 62 people when it went down in rough weather, according to the Vietnamese foreign ministry. 

Vietnamese authorities launched search and rescue operations immediately after the incident, working with Chinese rescue forces, including vessels and helicopters, as well as nearby ships, the foreign ministry's spokesperson Pham Thu Hang told reporters in Hanoi.

Search efforts for the remaining missing people are continuing, while authorities have kept victims' families informed of the rescue operation, Hang said.

She thanked Chinese rescue authorities for their prompt assistance and said Vietnam hoped both sides would continue to coordinate closely in the search for those still missing.

MarineTraffic identified Khoi Nguyen 18 as a Vietnamese-flagged general cargo vessel about 70 meters long.