Govt: Two Filipinos Dead, 16 Missing in Ship Sinking

Two Filipino sailors have died and 16 others are missing after their cargo ship sank in waters near Vietnam, the Philippine foreign department said Sunday.

The cargo vessel Bulk Jupiter went down on January 2 off the coast of Vung Tau City and so far, only one Filipino crewman has been rescued alive, the department said in a statement, without specifying why the ship sank.

Vietnamese authorities are leading the rescue operations and have recovered two bodies and are still searching for the other 16 crew, the statement said quoting the embassy in Hanoi.

About 10 percent of Filipinos work overseas -- with many working on cargo ships -- attracted by the higher salaries than they can earn at home. Their remittances are a major pillar supporting the country's economy.