There are 2 sailors from Nghe An on the burning ship off the coast of Hong Kong.
One Vietnamese sailor died and two others are missing in a fire on a Vietnamese oil tanker that broke out in waters off Hong Kong, China at noon on January 8 (local time).
According to a VNA reporter in Hong Kong, at around 11:30 a.m. (local time), the Aulac Fortune oil tanker belonging to Vietnam's Au Lac Joint Stock Company headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City suddenly exploded and caught fire while preparing to refuel in the waters off Hong Kong.
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| A Hong Kong police fireboat sprays water on the wrecked ship. Photo: Internet |
When the fire broke out, there were a total of 27 people on board, including 25 Vietnamese sailors and 2 Hong Kong (China) sailors. Hong Kong dispatched 3 fire boats and 3 high-speed firefighting canoes to approach the Aulac Fortune to put out the fire.
According to initial investigation by VNA reporters, the explosion occurred when the Aulac Fortune ship was preparing to receive fuel from a Hong Kong supply ship. At that time, Vietnamese sailors, chief mechanic Pham The Dung and third oiler Tran Hoang Phong, were connecting pipes, along with sailor Nguyen Van Cong.
The Hong Kong Coast Guard determined that of the three people, one was dead and two were missing.
Currently, 22 Vietnamese sailors and 2 Hong Kong sailors have been rescued by rescue forces. Among them, 3 Vietnamese sailors were injured, including Vu Tien Anh, who suffered severe burns and is being treated at Queen Mary Hospital on Hong Kong Island, and two others, Dong Xuan Vu and Phan Duy Them, who suffered minor injuries.
After receiving emergency treatment at Ruttonjee Hospital in Wanchai District (Hong Kong), the two sailors have basically recovered and been discharged. Currently, the Vietnamese sailors on the Aulac Fortune are gathering to complete necessary procedures at the Hong Kong Coast Guard Southern Division Headquarters, 28 Shum Wan Road on Hong Kong Island.
It is known that the owner of the Aulac Fortune ship, Au Lac Joint Stock Company, and the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong coordinated with Hong Kong to arrange for these Vietnamese sailors to stay temporarily at a hotel on Kowloon Island right after they completed procedures at the Hong Kong Coast Guard Southern Division.
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| Firefighters carry an injured man to Aberdeen Coast Guard Base. Photo: Internet |
After receiving the news from the Hong Kong authorities, the Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong, Mr. Tran Thanh Huan and the Consulate General staff went to the hospital to visit and encourage the injured Vietnamese sailors and provided essential necessities such as food, clothes, shoes, and coordinated with the Hong Kong authorities to carry out necessary procedures for the Vietnamese crew on the Aulac Fortune.
The Aulac Fortune has a capacity of 17,500 tons. Before going to Hong Kong to refuel, on January 6, the ship docked at Dongguan port (Guangdong, China) and left at 6:00 p.m. on January 7.
At noon on January 8, when reaching Hong Kong waters, about 1 nautical mile south of Lama Island, the incident occurred.
Currently, Hong Kong authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.
List of Vietnamese crew on board the Aulac Fortune
1. Nguyen Cong Cuong, Captain (from Hai Phong)
2. Phan Ba Bach, Deputy (Thai Binh)
3. Dong Xuan Vu, 2nd Deputy Captain, from Dong Nai
4. Nguyen Huu Thuy, 3rd Deputy Captain (Thanh Hoa)
5. Phung Nguyen Thang, Chief Engineer (Hai Phong)
6. Tran Cong Ly, Mechanic 2 (Ho Chi Minh City)
7. Vu Tien Anh, Mechanic 3 (Hung Yen)
8. Le Thai Hoang, Mechanic 4 (Ho Chi Minh City)
9. Hoang Van Thang, Electrician (Hai Duong)
10. Ngo Duc Toan, Chief Sailor (Hai Phong)
11. Nguyen Van Cong, Sailor (Ben Tre)
12. Hoang Trong Manh, Sailor (Thai Binh)
13. Vo Thanh Trung, Sailor (Vinh Long)
14. Pham Huu Ngoc, Sailor (Quang Binh)
15. Phan Duy Them, Sailor (Thai Binh)
16. Pham Quoc Thieu, Sailor (Hanoi)
17. Pham The Dung, Master Mechanic (Ho Chi Minh City)
18. Le Thanh Nam, Oilman 1 (Hai Phong)
19. Pham Duy Huong, Oilman 2 (Hai Phong)
20. Tran Hoang Phong, Oilman 3 (Nghe An)
21. Nguyen Van Loc, Oilman 4 (Hanoi)
22. Ngo Van Phuong, Chef (Nam Dinh)
23. Nguyen Huu Nam, waiter (Nghe An)
24. Pham Van Hai, Sailor (Hai Phong)
25. Bui Thanh Hai, Sailor (Quang Binh).
