Vietnamese fishing boat sinks in Spratly Islands; 33 rescued, 3 missing

A fishing vessel from Vietnam's Quang Ngai province sank in the waters of the Spratly Islands after encountering a powerful squall. Of the 36 crew members aboard, 33 were rescued by a nearby fishing boat, while three remain missing. The incident occurred on July 24.

The vessel, identified as QNg-95267TS, was engaged in squid fishing. It had departed from the Binh Thanh Border Guard Station on June 4. The boat, measuring 20.6 meters with a 525 CV engine, lost its vessel monitoring system signal around 8 a.m. on July 24 while operating in the Spratly Islands region.

Following the loss of contact, a report was filed with the Binh Thanh Border Guard Station on the evening of July 24. Initial investigations suggest the boat took on water and sank due to the severe weather conditions while en route to Truong Sa Lon (Greater Spratly).

Another fishing boat, QNg-95555TS, captained by Nguyen Huu Loc, quickly arrived at the scene and rescued the 33 fishermen. The survivors were then taken to Greater Spratly Island for safety. Authorities are continuing search efforts for the three missing individuals, whose identities are currently unconfirmed.