17 Filipino Crew Rescued After South China Sea Shipwreck

MANILA, Philippines - In the early hours of Friday, January 23, 2026, a Singapore registered cargo vessel named MV Devon Bay, carrying 21 Filipino crew members, capsized in the South China Sea while en route from the Philippines to Guangdong Province in southern China.

Contact with the vessel was lost after the crew reported that the ship’s hull had tilted dangerously and water began flooding in. An alarm signal was sent out via the ship’s emergency wireless position indicator before all communication was lost.

Rescue Operations

Once authorities were alerted at 0:46 a.m. by the Sansha maritime search and rescue branch in Hainan province, a large-scale, multi agency rescue effort was launched.

Search and rescue forces included:

• Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command aircraft

• China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels

• Teams from the Nanhai Rescue Bureau, Ministry of Transport

• Several international commercial ships from countries including Liberia, Panama and Japan

Despite high winds and rough seas, rescue teams located survivors and brought them aboard rescue vessels. By 4:28 a.m. four crew members were found in a lifeboat and evacuated, with others rescued directly from the water during ongoing operations.

Casualties and Condition of Survivors

As of Friday evening:

• 17 Filipino sailors had been rescued.

o 15 of them in stable condition and receiving medical care.

o Two were confirmed dead.

• Four crew members remained missing as of the latest reports.

The rescued sailors have been provided food, rest, and medical checkups on board rescue vessels by maritime authorities.

Location and Maritime Context

The accident happened roughly 55 nautical miles northwest of Huangyan Dao (also known as Scarborough Shoal), an area of strategic and territorial contention between China and the Philippines.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG):

• The Devon Bay was last recorded in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

• Even though international law allows freedom of navigation in such zones, the PCG emphasized that this does not grant law enforcement authority to foreign entities in Philippine EEZ waters.

Cooperation and Ongoing Search

Both Chinese and Philippine authorities are continuing rescue and search efforts to locate the remaining missing crew. The Philippines also deployed coast guard ships and aircraft to assist in the mission.

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SOURCES: China Internet Information Center; Philstar.com; people.com; Manila Bulletin