The saved crewmembers were brought to Cầu Đá Port, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu. — VNA/VNS Photo

BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — The Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre for Zone 3 has managed to coordinate a rescue of 18 crew members of a sinking ship offshore the south central province of Bình Thuận.

Narimoto Maru, a Belize-flagged cargo ship, was heading from Malaysia to Taiwan (China) with 18 sailors and 9,310 tonnes of clay on board.

The vessel began to tilt so heavily that it faced risk of sinking when it was crossing the waters of Bình Thuận, about 262 km east-northeast of Vũng Tàu Cape, on December 1, forcing the sailors to abandon ship amid high waves of up to 5m.

Upon receiving reports of the situation, the centre immediately contacted authorities in the region asking for help to save the seafarers.

Thanks to the concerted efforts, a nearby Denmark-flagged vessel called Mathilde Maersk came to the site to rescue the sailors that night and bring them safely ashore two days later.

The crew members were then taken to the Coast Hotel in Vũng Tàu City, the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, to undergo quarantine in accordance with COVID-19 prevention and control rules. — VNS

MATHILDE MAERSK ship docked in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu waters. — VNA/VNS Photo