HANOI, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam on Sunday thanked Chinese authorities for their prompt support in search and rescue operations after a Vietnamese ship sank in the South China Sea, with 45 of the 62 people on board rescued by Sunday noon.

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.

The Khoi Nguyen 18, a Vietnamese-flagged ship, was carrying 62 people when it sank while operating in unfavorable weather conditions in waters near Yongshu Reef of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea. ■