Rescue forces have found a body identified as a crewman of the Hai Thanh 26 ship which sank at sea off southern Vung Tau City three days ago, said an official from the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre.

A lifebuoy said to belong to missing crewmen was found on Wednesday after the Hai Thanh 26-a cargo ship sank midnight on Monday off the Vung Tau sea. 

Initial identity results on Thursday showed that the dead man is the ship’s vice captain Luong Van Quynh, who was among the nine missing crewmen, according Vu Viet Hung, deputy director of the centre.

Hung 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 Nguyen Viet Thang and crewman Hoang Tien Khoi, who were both rescued before. 

They were dispatched to the sea to support the rescue plan, said Le Manh Tien, an official from the Vietnam National Search and Rescue Committee.

Tien 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 Hai Thanh 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 Hai Phong City to southern Can Tho city. 

VNS