VietNamNet Bridge – Two days after being in distress in the waters of Ly Son Islands in the central province of Quang Ngai, the Bright Royal ship has drifted to Quy Nhon city of Binh Dinh province.

Binh Dinh authorities have instructed relevant agencies to prepare for coping with oil spills.

Mr. Le Huu Loc, Binh Dinh province’s Chair of, said: "The main worry now is that oil keeps flowing from the foreign cargo ship, polluting the sea and causing major damage to thousands of fish breeders as well as to tourism activities in Binh Dinh.”

Loc said by late afternoon of October 7, the ship owner did not meet with the local government to discuss the way to rescue the ship and cope with the oil spill.

After two days of being hit by big waves, Bright Royal cargo ship drifted for nearly 100 nautical miles from Ly Son Island to Quy Nhon City, about 26 nautical miles from shore.

According to a staff member of the port authorities of Quang Ngai province, water spilled into two cargo holds of the vessel. If the water is full of the two cargo holds, the ship is highly possible to sink.

Border Guard Agency of Quang Ngai Province is investigating the reason why this foreign ship misled to the passage for local boats, hit reef near the island of Ly Son and stranded there.

According to Colonel Do Ngoc Nam, Vice chief of the Quang Ngai Border Guard Force, it is a big question why this ship lost its way to enter the passage for local ships, because this is a big cargo vessel with modern equipment.

Oil from the ship.

The 28,259-ton ship, owned by the Vanguard Maritime Ltd Co, ran aground while on its way from Vung Ang port, central Ha Tinh province, to Bangladesh.

The Panama flag vessel crashed into reefs off Ly Son Island of Quang Ngai province (10 nautical miles northeast of the island) on the night of October 3, which caused two large holes at the bottom of two chambers.

Sea water entered the ship and endangered the lives of 24 crew members. However, the crew currently insists to stay in the vessel, reasoning to wait for the guidance of the parent company. Until late afternoon of October 5, the sailors agreed to leave the vessel.

The ship was later found to be leaking fuel oil from cracks in its two oil tanks containing 387 tons of fuel oil.

S. Tung