VietNamNet Bridge – At least eight to nine people who were aboard a fishing boat are missing after the boat sank in the waters of Ke Ga, about 27 nautical miles from the central city of Phan Thiet. High waves at least 2.5 metres high caused the boat to sink, authorities said.

Pham Hung Tan, director of the Office of the Binh Thuan Province Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control and Search and Rescue, said by Wednesday 10 people aboard the sunken fishing vessel were rescued by local fishermen, including captain Bui Van Toan, a resident of Phan Thiet City.

Those rescued were very weak and were transported to the mainland for treatment. However, eight or nine people are still missing. The authorities are verifying the number of people on board at the time of the accident.

The ship sank on its way back to the mainland, after an offshore trip to Truong Sa, in late afternoon of Tuesday, July 8.

Another fishing vessel from Phan Thiet City detected the incident but it could not rescue the sunken ship because of strong winds and big waves. This ship called for the mainland’s help.

Upon receiving SOS signals, a naval ship was sent to the scene to rescue fishermen. This ship also called for assistance from other fishing boats operating in neighboring waters.

By 2pm on Wednesday, the naval ship approached the scene but due to the rough seas, search and rescue activities faced a lot of difficulties, said Binh Thuan’s Vice Chair Huynh Thanh Canh.

Le Ha