Nghe An coastal villagers cry, anxiously waiting for news of 9 missing fishermen

After receiving information from fishermen on the fishing boat in distress, Ms. Thai Thi Ly in Phong Thai village, Tien Thuy commune, Quynh Luu district could not believe it was true. Her family stayed up all night praying for her husband and son to return safely. In the dilapidated old house, relatives and neighbors came in large numbers to encourage and share the pain with the family.

Among the 9 missing fishermen who have not been found are Ms. Ly's husband and son, Nguyen Van Hoa (39 years old) and Nguyen Van Phong (17 years old).

Upon hearing the news that her husband and child were missing at sea, Thai Thi Ly cried continuously. Photo: Viet Hung.

Ms. Ly and Mr. Hoa have 3 children together (1 boy, 2 girls), of which Phong is the eldest son. Due to difficult family circumstances, after finishing 11th grade, Phong temporarily stopped studying to stay home and follow his father to sea. In 2016, Mr. Hoa borrowed 200 million VND from the bank to join the capital to build a ship according to Decree 67 with some brothers. In 2017, the ship was completed and put into operation, and from then on, it seemed that the family's life would be better, with money to pay off the debt, but the last trip to sea on June 23 was considered fateful.

There were 19 crew members on that boat, including Mr. Hoa and his son Phong, who were fishing at sea when they collided with the cargo ship Pacific 01, causing the fishing boat to capsize. All 19 fishermen sank to the bottom of the sea. Fortunately, 9 crew members were rescued by the Pacific 01, the rest were missing, including Mr. Hoa and his son.

Relatives were heartbroken when they heard the news of 9 missing sailors. Photo: Viet Hung

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, a relative of the victim, said: “Since yesterday, when we heard the news that Mr. Hoa and Phong had an accident at sea, the family has been in a state of panic and crying bitterly. The situation is extremely difficult, Mr. Hoa has always been the one to take care of the family. Now hearing the bad news, everyone feels sorry for him, and now the debt is even more burdensome.”

Among the missing crew members, in addition to Mr. Hoa and his son Phong, there are also Mr. Hoa's two nephews, Nguyen Van Manh and Nguyen Van Tung, who have not been found.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, a local resident, said: “The ship that crashed was all brothers and relatives who pooled capital to build the ship and participated in the exploitation. The case of the family of Ms. Thai Thi Ly - the wife of fisherman Hoa - was extremely difficult, at the same time both father and son and 2 grandchildren went missing at sea. When the villagers heard the news, everyone came to the house to inquire and encourage the family.”

Mrs. Ho Thi Du (over 80 years old) was in pain when she heard the news that her son and 3 grandchildren were missing and had not been found. Photo: Viet Hung.

As for the relatives of the rescued crew members, after hearing the news of the fishing boat accident, they are waiting for the fishermen to return soon. Ms. Bui Thi Lien - wife of fisherman Dinh Trong Dung said that at around 4 pm yesterday (June 28), the family received news from the fishermen on the fishing boat in distress that the boat sank and that 9 fishermen were rescued, including Mr. Dinh Trong Dung and his son Dinh Trong Hau. After hearing the news, she panicked and fainted, but then calmed down when she heard that her husband and son were safe.

"We don't know how our husband and children are doing at sea. We know they are saved, but we have to see them return to believe it. We are very anxious right now," said Ms. Lien.

Quynh Thuan Border Guard Station and local authorities visited each affected family to share and encourage their relatives. Photo: Viet Hung.

Not only Ms. Lien, but also the relatives of the 19 crew members in Tien Thuy commune are currently waiting for information from the fishermen. In order to share and encourage the families of their loved ones in distress, the local authorities and Quynh Thuan Border Guard Station have visited each household to comfort and reassure them, helping them overcome the pain.

It is known that the sunken ship was built under Decree 67/CP with a total cost of 14 billion VND. Of the 19 fishermen on board, 15 were joint shareholders, each contributing 200 million VND, the rest was borrowed from the bank to build the ship. The ship has only been in operation for more than 2 years, partly because of unlucky fishing, the fishermen's income was very low, so they have only paid back over 500 million VND to the bank.

List of 19 crew members on fishing boat NA 95899 TS that had an accident in Bach Long Vi:

9 people were rescued in time:

1. Dinh Trong Dung

2. Nguyen Xuan Tuyen

3. Pham Huu Thanh

4. To Duy Thai (Quynh Nghia commune)

5. Ho Khac Duc

6. Dinh Trong Hau

7. Pham Huu Hoan

8. Nguyen Van Cong

9. Truong Van Viet

* 1 body found but identity is being verified *

Those still missing or unidentified:

1. Ho Ba Lam (captain)

2. Bui Ngoc Son

3. Nguyen Van Hoa

4. Nguyen Van Tung

5. Truong Dac Quy

6.Ho Ba Hoang

7. Nguyen Tuan Phong

8. Bui Ngoc Chung

9. Nguyen Van Manh

10. Nguyen Ngoc Tan

18 crew members are from Tien Thuy commune, Quynh Luu district, only one is from Quynh Nghia commune.