One fisherman was killed and 16 others were rescued after the cargo ship Viet Thuan 11-07 collided with the small purse seiner BTh 98379 TS off southern Vietnam on Monday morning.
The collision occurred about seven nautical miles east of Tien Phu. Viet Thuan 11-07 had departed Nui Thanh Port and was heading to a port district in Ho Chi Minh City.
BTh 98379 TS, a 50-foot coastal fishing vessel, had left its home port earlier that morning. The vessel was nearing the end of a 10-hour voyage to its fishing grounds when the collision occurred.
The impact capsized the fishing vessel and threw all 17 crew members into the sea. The fishermen climbed onto the overturned hull and pulled one crew member in distress from the water. The man, who had an underlying health condition, could not be revived.
Survivors said several crew members had been asleep at the time of the accident. Those who were awake jumped into the water, while others were thrown overboard when the vessel overturned.
A nearby fishing vessel rescued the survivors. All except the skipper returned to shore at Phu Hai. The skipper remained at the scene to watch over the capsized vessel.
Following the collision, Viet Thuan 11-07 was detained and diverted to an anchorage near Phan Thiet for investigation.
Viet Thuan 11-07 is a new 11,000 dwt general cargo ship flagged in Vietnam. Its operator owns or manages a bulker fleet with a combined capacity of more than one million deadweight tonnes. The fleet includes coastal, riverine and deep-sea vessels.
