A Singaporean-flagged cargo vessel carrying Filipino crew members has sunk near Scarborough Shoal, with Chinese authorities rescuing 13 survivors while seven others remain missing, officials said.
The Chinese Embassy reported that the China Coast Guard rescued 13 Filipino crew members early Friday at Scarborough Shoal, which China refers to as Huangyan Dao.
The vessel, identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as M/V Devon Bay, reportedly capsized about 55 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the ship departed from Gutalac, Zamboanga del Sur, and was en route to Yangjiang, China, when the incident occurred.
The coast guard said the vessel’s last known location was monitored about 141 nautical miles from Sabangan Point in Agno Bay, Pangasinan, at around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2026.
A total of 21 crew members were onboard, all of them Filipino, officials said. With 13 rescued, search efforts are continuing for the remaining seven missing crew members.
The Philippine Coast Guard has deployed multiple assets to assist in search and rescue operations. These include the BRP Teresa Magbanua, the BRP Cape San Agustin, and several air assets.
Authorities have not released further details on the condition of the rescued crew members or the circumstances that led to the vessel’s capsizing.
Search and rescue operations remain ongoing as Philippine authorities coordinate efforts to locate the missing crew in waters near the disputed Scarborough Shoal area.
