ByREUTERS
Updated:

The Chinese Coast Guard said on Friday it dispatched two vessels to rescue 21 Philippine crew members in a foreign cargo ship that capsized near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

The coast guard said it received a report of the incident at 1:34 a.m. on Friday. Thirteen people have been saved so far while search-and-rescue efforts were continuing, it said in a statement, which did not identify the ship's owner.

The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia's most contested maritime features and a frequent flashpoint in disputes over sovereignty and fishing rights.

Chinese military drives away Philippine aircraft

On Tuesday, the Chinese military said it organized naval and air forces to drive away a Philippine government aircraft that it accused of "illegally intruding" into airspace over the atoll.

A China Coast Guard ship navigating near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, as Philippine Coast Guard aircraft carrying journalists patrols the area, days after two Chinese vessels collided in the area while allegedly trying to block a Philippine supply mission, in the South China Sea, August 13, 2025.
A China Coast Guard ship navigating near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, as Philippine Coast Guard aircraft carrying journalists patrols the area, days after two Chinese vessels collided in the area while allegedly trying to block a Philippine supply mission, in the South China Sea, August 13, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Adrian Portugal)

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.