China Coast Guard officers take care of the rescued Vietnamese crewmembers. Photo: CCTV News

Sansha maritime search and rescue authorities confirmed with the Global Times on Monday that two more crew members of the sunken Vietnamese vessel in the South China Sea were rescued late Sunday night, bringing the total number of survivors rescued by the Chinese side to 47.

Detailing the rescue, a Sansha official told the Global Times that the two Vietnamese crew members were located and successfully rescued by China Coast Guard vessel 4303 at 10:38 pm and 23:32 pm on Sunday.

As of 09:33 am on Monday, the Chinese side has transferred four distressed personnel to Vietnam, with a cumulative total of 45 personnel handed over. The two Vietnamese sailors rescued on Sunday night will be transferred at a subsequent time.

The search and rescue operation will continue on Monday and a new operation plan is being formulated, per the official.

According to the rescued individuals, the distressed vessel was the Vietnamese-flagged ship KHOI NGUYEN 18. The vessel sank after encountering distress on Friday night in waters near Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands.

There were 62 Vietnamese nationals on board who urgently required assistance.

Vietnam on Sunday thanked Chinese authorities for their prompt support in search and rescue operations, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Vietnamese authorities launched rescue operations immediately after the incident and coordinated closely with Chinese rescue forces and vessels operating near the scene.

She expressed hope that both sides would continue to coordinate closely in the search for those still missing, according to Xinhua.

As of 8:05 pm on Sunday, 41 of the rescued Vietnamese individuals onboard the HOI NGUYEN 18have been safely transferred to Vietnamese ships, and the remaining survivors will be transferred on Monday, Sansha maritime search and rescue authorities told the Global Times.