Missing fishermen in contact via telephone

July 11, 2016 - 12:08

Families of seven Vietnamese fishermen, who were missing for nearly one week after their fishing vessel collided with a Philippines cargo ship in central Quảng Trị Province’s territorial waters, talked with the fishermen via telephones yesterday.

Families of seven Vietnamese fishermen, who were missing for nearly one week after their fishing vessel collided with a Philippines cargo ship in central Quảng Trị Province’s territorial waters, talked with the fishermen via telephones on Saturday. — Photo phapluatplus.vn

QUẢNG BÌNH — Families of seven Vietnamese fishermen, who were missing for nearly one week after their fishing vessel collided with a Philippines cargo ship in central Quảng Trị Province’s territorial waters, talked with the fishermen via telephones on Saturday.

Trịnh Thị Hà, the wife of the fishing vessel’s captain, told Việt Nam Television that she received a call from her husband, captain Hoàng Mạnh Lâm, at around 6pm on Saturday, from the Philippines.

Lâm told Hà that he and all other crew members were in stable health and were on board the Philippine cargo ship, which has anchored at a port in the Philippines.

He told her that their vessel sank after being hit from the rear by the Philippine vessel as a result of the latter vessel’s captain falling asleep.

Hà said she heard about the collision on Monday afternoon when an insurance agent in HCM City telephoned her to inform her of the accident.

The QB3917TS vessel from central Quảng Bình Province had gone on a fishing expedition in Quảng Trị Province’s territorial waters on July 29. It collided with the Philippines cargo ship in the waters last Monday.

According to Hà, when the accident occurred, the cargo ship was believed to be carrying goods from Việt Nam to Singapore. After the fishing vessel sank, the cargo ship saved the fishermen. The captain was allowed to telephone his insurance agency to inform them of the situation. However, no further contact had been made since then.

All the fishermen were related and lived in Quảng Bình province’s Cảnh Dương Commune.

Relevant authorised agencies from Việt Nam are working to complete procedures to help the fishermen return home soon. — VNS 

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