The Vietnamese Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre reported the successful rescue of 10 people from coastal cargo ship Nam Thinh 126 (IMO 8669228), which sank
near the northern port of Hai Pong on June 22nd.
The authorities said that they have ordered the owners to come up with a salvage plan, and to deal with the oil aboard the vessel before it leaked.
The 13-year-old vessel had loaded 1,800 tons of stone and bales in the southern port of Quy Nhon. It had a crew of eight and also two passengers from the owner’s company when the vessel left port. It reached the anchorage at Hai Pong, but shortly after midnight on June 22nd called the MRCC reporting that the vessel had tilted in heavy seas. The captain was requesting an urgent rescue, stating that he was ordering everyone into the vessel’s liferaft.
The reports indicated that the vessel was rolling in heavy seas, possibly evidence of a cargo shift.
Vietnamese officials said that the passengers and crew were rescued from their liferaft at midday on June 23rd.
The crew told the authorities that they had closed and locked the fuel values before abandoning ship. However, they were reporting that the vessel had 150 tons of fuel oil and three tons of diesel on board.
The Nam Thinh 126 sank approximately 2.5nm south of the channel. The authorities said that it was imperative to have a plan to salvage the ship in order to ensure the safety of the navigation channels.
