8 missing from passenger ship sunk in Can Gio

Eight people are missing including two foreign tourists from the sinking of a passenger ship in Can Gio district on the evening of August 2, HCM City’s Maritime Administration has reported.

Vietnam Maritime Rescue Centre Director Nguyen Anh Vu said the H29-BP coded ship, belonging to Maria travel agents, ran into trouble at about 9 pm on while en route from the Mekong Delta’s Tien Giang to Vung Tau City.

The ship was carrying 30 passengers on board, 22 of which have been rescued. 

The ship’s captain alerted local rescue teams to the emergency 30 minutes after the vessel was flooded.

Relevant agencies are working with rescue forces to clear the sunken ship. The rescue vessels SAR 413 and SAR 272 were already dispatched to search for the missing victims.

A number of the ship’s passengers were travelling to Vung Tau to attend a wedding ceremony.

The identities of the missing victims will be announced soon.

A Vietnam Maritime Administration delegation, led by its Chairman Nguyen Nhat, also attended the scene of the incident to assist victims and investigate.