Cruise ship sinks on Saigon River, 15 missing

Published: 21/05/2011 05:00

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VietNamNet Bridge - A two-storey cruise ship of Din Ky resort in the southern province Binh Duong was overturned around 7:00pm (local time) yesterday on Saigon river. 15 guests of a birthday party aboard have got missing. Five have been rescued.

One of the guests on the capsized ship coded BD 0913, who fell off the deck and swam to river bank, told Tuoi Tre the ship weighed anchor and steamed off on the river soon before 7:00pm.

Going for 100m, a heavy rain began pouring down and strong whirlwind blew up and overturned the ship.

Many guests fell off the deck and few of them could swim towards the river bank. Minutes before, a smaller boat was sent to the ship and received some guests to head ashore.

At 9:25pm, tens of ambulances and over 100 policemen were present at the site for rescue.

The whole area was blocked. Reporters and victim’s relatives were not allowed to enter the area.

At 10:00pm, the ship was sunk deep at the bottom of the river and completely disappeared.

The location of the ship has yet been positioned.

Till 10:25pm (or 3 hours and a half since the ship was capsized), not a victim has been saved, according to an emergency aid staff on duty at the scene.

The ship’s captain was identified as Le Van Duc from Ben Tre province. He escaped the ship and safely swam ashore, and is now kept by local police.

On hearing the news, a group of Chinese tourists have rushed to the scene and reported they have 4 relatives going on the ship.

Vu Van Hung, a survivor, said all guests aboard the ship were attending a birthday party of the 3-year-old baby named Quach Hong Dat, son of Quach Luong Tai.

The missing people include a family of five, Hung said.

Source: Tuoi Tre

Provide by Vietnam Travel

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