Rescue forces assist victims on the Trường Nguyên 8 vessel. — VNA/VNS Photo

KHÁNH HÒA — Five people are believed to have suffered gas asphyxiation in an engine room hold aboard the vessel Trường Nguyên 8, prompting an emergency response that left two dead, two hospitalised and one person missing, according to the Khánh Hòa Provincial Border Guard Command on Tuesday.

The Vietnamese-flagged vessel, registration number HP 3867 and owned by NTK Shipping Agent Sea Co Ltd, was travelling from HCM City to Cần Thơ when the incident occurred on Monday evening.

There were 11 people on board, including one non-crew member. The vessel later docked at Trung Nam–Cà Ná Port in Cà Ná Commune, Khánh Hòa Province, where authorities were alerted.

Rescue forces boarded the vessel and found two people dead. Two others were taken to Ninh Thuận General Hospital for emergency treatment, while another non-crew member, whose identity has yet to be confirmed, remains missing in a deep hold and is the subject of an ongoing search.

The remaining six people are reported to be in stable condition.

Lê Huy Thạch, director of Ninh Thuận General Hospital in Khánh Hòa Province, said the two patients receiving emergency care were captain Bùi Văn Quý, 48, from Hải Phòng, and crew member Thái Văn Thịnh, 25, from Nghệ An Province.

They have passed the critical stage and are under close monitoring and treatment.

The fatalities were identified as Trần Đức Tài, 45, chief engineer, and Trần Xuân Dũng, 55, a crew member, both from Nghệ An Province.

The Khánh Hòa Provincial Border Guard Command has instructed the Cà Ná Border Post to notify the Lâm Đồng Maritime Port Authority of the incident.

Local authorities, including the Cà Ná Commune People’s Committee, Thuận Nam Medical Centre and Trung Nam Cà Ná Port, are continuing to assist with emergency response efforts and are coordinating with relevant agencies to determine the cause of the incident. — VNS