The container ship Vietsun Integrity will be raised out of the Lòng Tàu River on the outskirts of HCM City where it sank on October 19. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Huy

HCM CITY — A plan to raise the container ship Vietsun Integrity from the Lòng Tàu River in HCM City’s Cần Giờ District where it sank on October 19 has been approved by the HCM City Port Authorities.

All of the ship's containers must be removed before the vessel is lifted and towed to the harbour, according to Ngô Quang Hưng, the deputy director of the port authority. 

Owned by Vietsun Corporation, the ship had been travelling from HCM City to the northeastern port city of Hải Phòng when it sank. The 17 crew members jumped into the water in time and were subsequently rescued.

The Vietnamese-flagged ship will be taken to the harbour to clear the way on the Sài Gòn – Vũng Tàu route on the Lòng Tàu River. As of Monday, 60 containers had been towed to safety and 55 of them had been taken to VICT Port in HCM City’s District 7.

The HCM City Port Authorities, the owner of the vessel, and relevant agencies are regulating navigation at the site and supervising the raising of the vessel as well as the removal of the containers.

While waiting for the opening of the Sài Gòn – Vũng Tàu route within 28 days, the HCM City Port Authorities have been directing vessels to the Soài Rạp, Sông Dừa, and Đồng Tranh – Gò Quao routes to ensure safety.

The Hải Vân Shipping Service Corp has been using buoys to prevent oil spills, according to the port authority.

The owner of the vessel is expected to complete the task of removal of containers on schedule, Hưng added.

The Vietsun Integrity sank in Cần Giờ District’s Lòng Tàu River at around 1:50am on 19 October 2019. The ship, around 132 metres long and with deadweight tonnage of more than 8,000 tonnes, was carrying around 290 containers when it went down. — VNS