A fishing boat from Vietnam's central province of Quang Ngai has been sunk by a Chinese ship near the Hoang Sa Archipelago (Paracel Islands), according to the Vietnam’s National Committee on Incident, Disaster Response and Search and Rescue.

A Vietnamese fishing boat is attacked by a Chinese vessel in 2017

The committee said on Wednesday evening that a local fishing boat, the QNg 90819 TS/05 LĐ was sunk by Chinese ship 44101 near the Paracel Islands at 10am the same day.

"The Vietnamese and Chinese Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres were called to save five crew members of the sinking fishing boat," the committee reported, adding that they were then safely taken by another local fishing boat at 12pm.

Fishermen rescued at sea

Ten fishermen were saved off Thuan An coast, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, after their boat had its gearbox broken on March 6.

The fishing boat with broken gearbox was towed successfully to shore on March 6.(Photo: VOV)

Right after receiving the information, the Office of the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue asked competent authorities in the province to support the boat.

As of 13:39, a nearby ship successfully accessed and towed the boat in distress to shore.

The same day, a fishing boat with the number plate of QNg 908819 TS with five fishermen on board was hit by a Chinese ship at 10:10 when it was fishing in Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, 198 nautical miles off central Da Nang city coast. The crew was rescued by the boat with the number plate of QNg 90620 TS two hours later.

Earlier, upon receiving distress signal from a fishing boat with the number plate of PY 91379 TS on March 5, the Office of the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue ordered relevant agencies in Phu Yen province to assist the boat with a 10-member crew on board. It was fishing 45 nautical miles off Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago when its engine broke down.

Nguoi Lao Dong/Dtinews