2 killed, 16 missing as cargo ship capsises off Vietnamese coast

Two people were killed and 16 remain missing after a cargo ship capsized and sank off Vietnam's southern coast, authorities said Saturday.
The vessel, owned by international shipping company Gearbulk, was carrying 19 crew from the Philippines and about 46,000 tons of bauxite.
It issued distress signals on Thursday night while en route from Malaysia to China, Le Dung Anh, an official from the Vietnam National Committee for Search and Rescue, told dpa. It sank around 150 miles south of Vung Tau city.
'Rescue activities are being carried out actively but the weather is very choppy now, so it is very difficult for rescue forces to deploy searching activities,' he said. 'It is likely the ship sank because of the heavy load and bad weather conditions.'
The captain was among the dead, he said, adding that one survivor believed to be the ship's cook was rescued by a Japanese coast guard tugboat.