By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL - A Singapore-flagged cargo vessel capsized in the South China Sea, killing two people and injuring another, as Philippine and Chinese authorities launched rescue operations on Friday, officials said.

China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said it initiated a joint rescue effort for a capsized foreign cargo ship in waters near Huangyan Dao, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc. The area is disputed and claimed by both China and the Philippines, according to a statement shared by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines on the US social media platform Facebook.

The vessel was traveling from the Philippines to China’s Guangdong province and was carrying 21 Filipino crew members, the embassy said.

Chinese military aircraft and China Coast Guard vessels were deployed to search for and rescue the crew, the statement added. By noon, 17 people had been rescued, with 14 reported to be in stable condition.

“Rescue efforts are currently underway in full swing, and China’s maritime authorities are organizing additional rescue teams to rush to the accident site,” the statement said.

"Rescue efforts are currently underway in full swing, and China's maritime authorities are organizing additional rescue teams to rush to the accident site," it added.

The Philippine Coast Guard also said it deployed two vessels and two aircraft to assist in the rescue operation. Officials did not immediately provide further details on the condition of the injured crew member or the cause of the accident.