Search for 17 missing crew after Vietnamese cargo ship sinks in South China Sea

A search is underway for 17 people missing after a Vietnamese cargo ship carrying 62 people sank in bad weather in the disputed South China SeaByANIRUDDHA GHOSAL Associated PressHANOI, Vietnam -- A multinational search by Vietnamese, Philippine and Chinese rescuers was underway on Sunday for 17 crew members missing after a cargo ship sank in bad weather off a Chinese-occupied shoal in the disputed South China Sea,The Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18, carrying 62 people, sank late Saturday near Fiery Cross Reef, which is a Chinese-built island and a military outpost in the hotly contested Spratly Islands.Of those on board, 45 crew members have been found and 17 others are still reported missing.The vessel “sank while operating in bad weather conditions in the East Sea,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said.The Philippine Coast Guard said it deployed a patrol vessel and an aircraft to help search for the missing crew members after receiving a request from Vietnam. Chinese rescue ships and helicopters, along with other vessels in the area, joined the operation.Vietnamese authorities said fishing vessels had joined the search and that the families of those on board ha...