QUẢNG TRỊ — Thirteen people were rescued yesterday by the local army after their ship broke down and was in high danger of sinking off the central province of Quảng Trị.

Quảng Trị Province’s Command of Border Guard reported that the rescue ended successfully at 10am yesterday and all those rescued were being looked after by health workers at Cửa Việt Port’s army station in Gio Linh District.

At about 2pm on Sunday, the provincial border guard received news that the machine shaft of fishing ship QT21126TS, captained by 39-year-old Trần Trung Tấn, was fractured and at risk of sinking due to the strong wind and waves in the area some 10 nautical miles off the Cửa Việt Port coast.

There were four crewmen and nine passengers -- scientists of Hà Nội University of Science and Technology, under Hà Nội-based Việt Nam National University -- who were on a trip to collect sea water samples in the area around Cồn Cỏ Island for the purpose of scientific research.

Rescue ship CN09 with 13 solders led by Lieutenant Colonel Trần Tuấn Anh, deputy chief of Quảng Trị Province’s Command of Border Guard, was ordered to reach the accident site.

“The rescue force faced difficulty due to the heavy rainfall, strong wind and waves, even as the ship had broken down and was in high danger of sinking,” the rescue force’s chief said.

The rescue ship only found the site of the incident after three hours of searching, but was unable to approach the accident vessel at that time because of fog, high winds and darkness.

Early morning the next day, when the weather stabilised, the rescue force approached the site and rescued the passengers. It also attempted to tow the fishing vessel ashore.

However, the old fishing vessel sank due to the strong waves. All four crewmen were moved to the rescue ship safely. — VNS