A Korean-flagged cargo ship manned by 21 crew members sank Monday afternoon in the South China Sea, authorities in China and South Korea have confirmed. The Bright Ruby, which was traveling from Malaysia to China with a load of steel, went down about 338 nautical miles south of Hong Kong shortly after sending out a distress signal.
According to the marine department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, the crew included 9 Koreans and 12 Myanmar nationals. Fifteen crew members, including 5 Koreans and 8 Myanmar nationals, were rescued from the water by vessels that responded to the distress call. Six crew members remain missing.
A search and rescue operation was launched Monday and continued into Tuesday. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said rescuers from Hong Kong and the Chinese Navy are participating. Two Chinese naval vessels are en route to the scene while two helicopters and seven ships from Hong Kong have been searching the water since Monday.
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