A lifebuoy said to belong to missing crewmen was found on Wednesday after the Hải Thành 26-a cargo ship sank midnight on Monday off the Vũng Tàu sea. — Photo baomoi.com |
BÀ RỊA - VŨNG TÀU — Rescue forces have found a body identified as a crewman of the Hải Thành 26 ship which sank at sea off southern Vũng Tàu City three days ago, said an official from the Việt Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
Initial identity results on Thursday showed that the dead man is the ship’s vice captain Lương Văn Quỳnh, who was among the nine missing crewmen, according Vũ Việt Hùng, deputy director of the centre.
Hùng said rescue and search plans are ongoing both on the sea surface and inside the sunk-ship.
Earlier on the same morning, authorities asked for help from the ship’s captain Nguyễn Viết Thắng and crewman Hoàng Tiến Khôi, who were both rescued before. They were dispatched to the sea to support the rescue plan, said Lê Mạnh Tiến, an official from the Việt Nam National Search and Rescue Committee.
Tiến said that by 12h20, a team of professional divers was sent to the site, but they struggled to get inside the ship because of high waves and strong gusts.
On Wednesday, a ship specialising in maritime search found the location of the Hải Thành 26, about 2 nautical miles from the accident site.
The 3,000 tonne-transport capacity cargo ship sank at midnight Monday about 30m depth under the Vũng Tàu sea after colliding with another cargo ship.
The accident occurred while the ship--with a total of 11 crewmen and clinker on board-was sailing from northern Hải Phòng City to southern Cần Thơ city. — VNS