At least 12 sailors on Chinese-flagged COSCO bulk carrier Wu Zhou 8 (IMO 9662760) have died of suspected food poisoning off
Vietnam’s southern coast, a government official said on Friday September 30th. There
were reported to be 21 crew on board in total.
Authorities in the island district of Con Dao deployed
helicopters to bring the victims and nine other sailors to a hospital onshore
after receiving distress calls from the ship’s captain. Huynh Trung Son, a
local government official told Reuters that “the survivors are in
critical condition and our medical staff are trying to save them”, adding that “we
haven’t been able to identify the nationality of the sailors, but they are
likely Chinese,” he added.
The vessel was en route from Thailand to China, although it
was not immediately clear what the ship was transporting.
The ship was built in 2013 with a carrying capacity of
76,005 deadweight tonnes, and left Thailand on September 28th for Lianyungang
in China.
2013-built, China-flagged, 41,303 gt Wu Zhou 8 is owned
by Chaozhou Xingwang Shipping Co of Raoping Xian, Guangdong, China. It is
managed by Cosco Shipping Seafarer Mgmt of Shanghai, China. ISM manager is
Fuyingtong Guangzhou Shipping of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is entered
with London Club on behalf of Chaozhou Xingwang Shipping Co Ltd.
