80 fishermen of the two boats in distress have been rescued. |
By 11 a.m. on October 17, 80 fishermen of the two boats had been rescued. Among them, 79 were rescued, one person died from the incident and 13 have gone missing.
On October 17 morning, the People's Committee of Quang Nam Province established the Emergency Search and Rescue Steering Committee for fishermen in distress at Ky Ha Port Border Gate Station, the Border Guard of Quang Nam Province. Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee Le Tri Thanh is Head of the Steering Committee.
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Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee Le Tri Thanh is the Head of the Emergency Search and Rescue Steering Committee for fishermen in distress. |
Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province Ho Quang Buu said that the locality has contacted and mobilized ten ships near the sunk boats to continue searching for the missing fishermen.
The People’s Committee of Quang Nam proposed the National Committee for Natural Disaster Response and Search and Rescue to direct Naval Region 4 Command, the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center Zone 4 and the Coast Guard to mobilize forces to step up efforts in searching for the missing ones.
The first accident happened at 7:30 p.m. on October 16, about 370 nautical miles southeast of An Hoa Cape in Quang Nam Province and about 70 nautical miles north-northeast of Southwest Cay Island in the Spratly Islands. At that time, there were 54 people aboard. Of them, 40 fishermen were rescued by a nearby fishing boat but one had died. The remaining of 13 others have been missing.
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Leaders of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee discuss with the Provincial Border Guard about a plan to search for fishermen in the incidents. |
The other accident occured by the dawn of October 17 when rogue waves sank another squid fishing boat from Quang Nam Province about 240 nautical miles east-southeast of Quy Nhon coast and about 135 nautical miles north-northwest of Southwest Cay Island. 39 fishermen were rescued.
Currently, four ships strive to search for the missing fishermen under weather conditions of whirlwinds and rough seas.
The Quang Nam Province coordinated with the authorities to mobilize navy ships in the Southwest Cay, the Coast Guard Region 2’s ships to the site to find the missing fishermen.
On the same day, the Chairman of the People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province sent an official letter to the National Committee for Natural Disaster Response and Search and Rescue supporting search and rescue operations at sea.
PM orders urgent search for missing fishermen in sunk boats
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just sent an urgent dispatch requiring relevant ministries, agencies and localities to coordinate and mobilize forces and means to search for 13 missing fishermen of Quang Nam Province after two squid fishing boats sank off the Spratly Islands.
Pursuant to this dispatch, the PM ordered the National Committee for Natural Disaster Response and Search and Rescue, ministers of Transport, National Defense, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment together with chairmen of the People’s Committees of the Central provinces and cities to focus on taking the fastest and most effective search and rescue measures under the requirement of ensuring absolute safety for rescue forces and means.
The People’s Committees of provinces and cities Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thua and Binh Thuan were assigned to coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in reviewing maritime transport vehicles anchoring and operating in the accident sites, promptly mobilize forces to find the missing fishermen.
Amid the current complicated weather conditions in the Central region, PM Pham Minh Chinh also asked the above-mentioned ministries and localities to continue to strictly comply with directions dealing with the natural disaster as well as overcoming consequences following widespread deluge and downpours; arrange forces and specialized means in preparation for worst situations.
