Suspected wreckage of missing coastguard plane found

June 17, 2016 - 14:00

The Vietnamese coast guard has found wreckage of a suspected coast guard airplane which went missing off the northern port city of Hải Phòng yesterday with nine people on board.

Rescue forces continue searching for missing aircraft and passengers on board. — Photo VNA
Viet Nam News

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese coast guard has found wreckage of a suspected coast guard airplane which went missing off the northern port city of Hải Phòng yesterday with nine people on board.

The plane, CASA 8983, left Hà Nội yesterday morning to search for a fighter jet that crashed offshore the central province of Nghệ An on Tuesday, according to the National Committee for Search and Rescue.

The coast guard aircraft disappeared from radar about 44 nautical miles from Bạch Long Vỹ district island in Hải Phòng at around 12.30pm yesterday, according to officials.

The wreckage was discovered last night offshore the southwest of Bạch Long Vỹ district island.

The fighter jet Su-30MK2, with two pilots on board, went missing on Tuesday during a training session off the coast of the central province of Nghệ An.

Major Nguyễn Hữu Cường, one of the two pilots, was rescued on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the other pilot and the aircraft remain missing.

The coastguard, border guards, navy, air force and fishermen are continuing to search for the fighter jet and missing pilot.

Deputy Minister of National Defence, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Chí Vịnh, met yesterday with the Chinese Ambassador to Việt Nam, Hong Xiaoyong, to ask China to co-ordinate and create conditions for ships, planes and rescue forces from Việt Nam to continue searching on the eastern side of the demarcation line of the Tonkin Gulf. — VNS

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