A victim's body was brought to shore in at Dung Quất Port in Quảng Ngãi Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NGÃI — The bodies of four victims in the sinking of the tugboat LA-06695 and the capsizing of the barge LA-06883 in the waters off Lý Sơn Island of Quảng Ngãi were found and brought to Dung Quất Port to be handed over to the families for burial.

The identities of the four victims are Trần Minh Phúc from Quảng Ngãi Province, Võ Như Song from Tiền Giang Province, Đặng Văn Ước, and Đặng Văn Nhung from Long An Province.

Border guards, customs, and local authorities carried out identification and autopsy procedures before handing over the bodies to the families for burial.

All four of these victims were not on the list of crew members of the tugboat LA-06695 belonging to Minh Linh Limited Liability Company, which registered to depart at Kỳ Hà port of Quảng Nam Province.

According to local authorities, five crew members were registered to work on the tugboat and barge upon departure, including Võ Tấn Khương, Võ Văn Nhiều, and Bùi Minh Trí from Quảng Ngãi Province. Captain Phạm Văn Hiệp and Đặng Minh Phương, a sailor from Long An Province, were still not yet determined.

In addition, three fishermen on Lý Sơn Island, whose family members confirmed them as being on the tugboat LA-06695, have not yet been contacted.

Currently, the authorities continue to search for the missing victims.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Tài Năng, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Quảng Ngãi Border Guard Command, said that the search plan at night at sea was ineffective due to strong winds, affecting the search work.

Currently, the forces of the Provincial Border Guard are searching for victims at night along the coast.

On April 26, all forces are mobilised for the search work.

Previously, Vietnam News Agency reported that at 4 am on Wednesday, April 24, tugboat LA-06695 belonging to Minh Linh Limited Liability Company towed barge LA-06883 carrying stones with five people working on the ship had an accident when moving from Kỳ Hà Port of Quảng Nam Province to Lý Sơn Island of Quảng Ngãi Province.

The accident caused the tugboat to sink and the barge to overturn. — VNS