VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Registration Agency has disciplined the six officers of the vehicle registration bureau No. 6 in HCM City for granting the operation certification for the hydrofoil Vina Express 01 even though the vessel had defects and then caught fire on the Saigon River 5 months ago.

The hydrofoil that caught on fire in the Saigon River on  January 20.

The officials were also blamed of making mistakes during the registration of two other hydrofoils running in the HCM City - Vung Tau route.

According to the decision of the Vietnam Registration Administration, the bureau director Mr. Pham Ninh and deputy director Mr. Le Hoang Hai and two staff were reprimanded. Two other officiers were served a warning for the incident.

Public opinion said was negative. People said reprimanding and warning were too gentle for the mistakes committed by these officers, since the safety of the hydrofoils was related to the life of passengers.

At noon on January 20, the Vina Express 01 hydrofoil departed the Bach Dang Wharf in HCM City to Vung Tau City, carrying 85 passengers, including 37 foreigners and seven crew members.

About 2km from the ​​Phu My Bridge, sailors discovered fire from the hold. Passengers and the crew members jumped off the ship and were rescued in a timely fashion so there was no casualties.

After the incident, the city government suspended all hydrofoils operating on the Ho Chi Minh City - Vung Tau route from January 22 and established a joint working group to investigate the incident and check all hydrofoils.

In late April, the Ministry of Transport asked the Prime Minister's approval for the suspension of hydrofoils in HCM City because these vessels were too old and did not meet safety standards. All of the hydrofoils that ran on the HCM City-Vung Tau route have not been allowed to resume operation.

Phuong My