Asia-Pacific News
22 missing after Vietnamese freighter sinks in South China Sea
Dec 30, 2011, 11:34 GMT
Hanoi - Vietnamese authorities on Friday said that a cargo ship reported missing had sunk in the South China Sea and 22 people were missing.
'We have been in contact with the only one out of the crew of 23 that a British ship rescued,' said Luu Dinh Tung, deputy director of the Vietnam Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.
Dau Ngoc Hung was picked up by the London Courage. He said the Vietnamese ship, the Vinalines Queen, was listing north-east of Luzon in the Philippines before it sank rapidly in heavy seas.
Crew members only had time to launch one life raft before the ship went under. Hung was the only crew member who could get into the life raft, while the 22 others went down with the ship.
'We cannot confirm the 22 other crew members are dead before finding their bodies, so we have asked authorities in Japan, China, Taiwan and the Philippines to search for the missing,' Tung said.
The ship was carrying 54,400 tons of nickel ore from Indonesia to China. Its last communication with the maritime centre was received early on Sunday.
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