The sunk vessel BV 97879 TS. — VNA/VNS Photo

BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — A Vietnamese fishing boat sank after colliding with a Liberian-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Côn Đảo Island on Friday.

The incident occurred at 2am when the fishing vessel BV 97879 TS, captained by Trương Quang Khánh, 42, from Bình Định Province, collided with the BBC Mercury cargo ship, about 30 nautical miles northeast of Côn Đảo.

The fishing boat sank following the impact.

The 10 fishermen jumped into the sea, clinging to floating debris, but the BBC Mercury reportedly continued its journey without stopping to assist.

After receiving a distress call, the border guard deployed a rescue vessel, BP.13.01.01, with seven personnel from Côn Đảo to the scene. Nearby fishing boats were also alerted to assist.

Three hours after the accident, two other fishing vessels, BT 93277 TS and BV 97174 TS, had rescued all 10 fishermen. The border guard vessel reached the site by 7.45am, transferring nine of the crew for initial medical care and support before bringing them to Côn Đảo.

The captain remained on BV 97174 TS to help tow the sunken boat back to shore for repairs. All the crew are reported to be in stable condition.

Authorities are assisting the boat’s owner in filing a maritime complaint with the Vũng Tàu Port Authority and other agencies. The Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Military Command has been asked to prepare for potential oil spill containment. — VNS