Vietnamese authorities reported a search and rescue mission
was underway off southern Vietnam after a Chinese-owned cargo ship issued a
distress call and later sank in bad weather. Eleven crew members were rescued
with two additional bodies having been recovered and two sailors reported
missing.
The 8,500 DWT Xin Hong, a 21-year-old vessel was sailing
from Malaysia to Taiwan with a cargo of 7,800 tons of clay. The vessel was
approximately 20 miles off the island of Phu Quy, which is 60 miles off the
coast of southern Vietnam. The ship had a crew of 15 including eight Chinese
nationals and three Vietnamese.
The vessel was sailing in bad weather with heavy rain, winds
between 30 and 40 knots, and waves 4 to 5 meters when the cargo shifted causing
the vessel to list approximately 8 degrees to starboard. The ship’s captain
reportedly asked for permission to enter the port at Phu Quy and proceeded to
approximately 1.5 nautical miles when the list increased to make the vessel no
longer maneuverable.
At around 5 pm local time on December 17 the Marine Police
received a distress call from the vessel reporting that they were sinking.
Coast Guard vessels were dispatched to the scene to begin a search and rescue
mission.
The Coast Guard reported arriving on the scene with very low
visibility and bad weather with the crew widely scattered in the water. By 2 am the 11 crew had been successfully
rescued and two additional bodies were recovered. The search was ongoing for
two additional missing crew members while the injured crew were being
transferred to the island. The District Party Committee secretary reported that
a quarantine area was being established in the military medical center to treat
the crew and that they would also be tested for COVID-19.
Other reports indicated that the ship’s EPIRB emergency buoy
issued a signal at about 1:30 a.m., presumably when the Xin Hong sank. The
Coast Guard later reported finding an empty life raft in the area.
Due to the bad weather in the area normal shipping had been
suspended between the island and the mainland. Officials however informed ships
and fishermen operating in the area asking for assistance in searching for the
two missing crew members.
The port authority of Binh Thuan province also issued a
request to the owners of the Panama-flagged ship, Hong He Shipping Co., to
prepare a plan to address any oil spills from the ship. They were also told to
prepare to salvage the sunken ship, although it is unclear what the water depth
is in the area where the ship sank.