China and the Philippines mounted joint rescue operations after a Singaporean-flagged bulk carrier sank near Scarborough Shoal carrying 21 Filipino crew, reports Reuters.

The Chinese military said 17 crew were rescued, though two later died, after the vessel capsized early Friday. Aircraft and coast guard ships were dispatched, with one survivor receiving emergency medical treatment.



The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed it sent two vessels and two aircraft to assist. It cited information from Hong Kong's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre that 10 crew had been rescued by a passing China Coast Guard vessel.



Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority identified the ship as the 56,095-dwt Devon Bay, loaded with iron ore and bound for Yangjiang. It said it was in contact with the ship owner and would investigate the incident.



Scarborough Shoal remains a disputed maritime feature. China seized control in 2012 and has stationed coast guard and fishing vessels there. A 2016 Hague tribunal ruling invalidated China's sweeping claims, affirming the shoal as a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines and Vietnam, but Beijing rejected the decision.



China's claims in the South China Sea overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam