Search continues for missing fishermen

QUẢNG NINH — Rescuers have saved four seamen and are searching for three others who remain missing after a fishing ship sank about 20 nautical miles from Cô Tô Island in the northern province of Quảng Ninh.

The fishing ship, with seven crewmembers, sank on Sunday morning after encountering rough seas.

Trần Như Long, secretary and chairman of the Cô Tô Island People’s Committee, on Monday morning, said that the fishing ship was from Thủy Nguyên District, the northern port city of Hải Phòng.

Long said that although the district authorities had asked other fishing vessels for assistance. Rescue workers are facing difficulties due to strong waves and heavy rain.

The island authorities called all fishing vessels operating at sea to return to harbour as the low depression was forecast to develop into a typhoon in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The Cẩm Phả-Vân Đồn Port Authority of Inland Waterways on Monday morning also announced that it had temporarily stopped issuing certificates to leave port for all vessels working on the Vân Đồn-Cô Tô and Vân Đồn-Thanh Lân routes. — VNS