Phan Trinh, head of the Núi Thành fisheries union, connects with fishermen at sea. — Photo bienphong.com.vn

ĐÀ NẴNG — Border guards are searching for a fishing vessel with 50 people on board that lost contact at sea off the central city of Đà Nẵng, military officials said on Thursday.

The last position from the QNa 90859 TS was recorded at 12.54pm on August 25, and efforts to reach the boat have so far failed, said Colonel Hoàng Văn Mẫn, political commissar of the Đà Nẵng Border Guard Command.

Voyage-tracking data show three other fishing boats, including BD 98848 TS, BD 98710 TS and BD 98042 TS, operated by fishermen from Gia Lai Province are currently working about 15 to 20 nautical miles from the area where contact was lost.

The 23.9-metre vessel, with a 1,682-horsepower engine, fishes for squid. It is owned and captained by Huỳnh Văn Trí, 47, from Núi Thành Commune. The boat departed on July 29 from the An Hòa border guard station at Kỳ Hà port.

Đà Nẵng border guards have asked nearby vessels to assist and are coordinating with the Region IV Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre and other agencies to verify information and expand the search.

Authorities have also requested support from the city’s People’s Committee and Civil Defence Command, and reported the case to the national civil defence steering committee. — VNS