Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang directed the search and rescue operations throughout the night, mobilizing maximum forces to search for missing crew.

On April 25, 2024, the maritime search and rescue force found 04 deceased crew and continued to mobilize maximum vessels operating in the search and rescue region for missing crew in the barge sinking incident in the waters of Ly Son (Quang Ngai).

On the night of April 24, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang and Director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration Le Do Muoi directly directed the search and rescue operations for crew members in the incident that tugboat LA-06695 and barge LA-06883 sank in the waters of Ly Son (Quang Ngai). At the meeting to command the search and rescue operation, Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang and Vice Chairman of the Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee Tran Phuoc Hien directed the conduct of search and rescue throughout the night, mobilizing maximum forces to search for the missing crew.

Upon the meeting, the Vietnam Maritime Administration issued document No. 1962/CHHVN-AT&ANHH requesting the Vietnam Search and Rescue Committee (VINASARCOM) to direct the mobilization of forces and coastal localities to participate in search and rescue. At 22:15 on April 24, the Department of Disaster Response and SAR issued document No. 991/CHCN-DH to the Command Department of the Ministry of Defence to request for the mobilization of forces of the Ministry of Defence to participate in search and rescue at the scene.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang requested local authorities to coordinate with functional units, mobilize all resources, expand the search area for victims of the barge sinking in Quang Ngai waters; Quang Ngai Border Guard and local authorities mobilize forces to search in coastal areas; simultaneously, mobilize specialized search and rescue vessel SAR 274 to urgently navigate to the scene to participate in the search and rescue operations.

On the night of April 24, the search force at the scene, including SAR 412, SAR 274, Border Guard ship 090501 and Coast Guard ship 6006, continued to urgently conduct search and rescue operations based on the rescue plan, at the same time directly mobilized 64 vessels in the area to participate in the search for victims.

Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (Vietnam MRCC) coordinated with relevant agencies to mobilize all forces and vessels to take advantage of the time to mobilize all available resources to make efforts to search for victims and requested localities to send rescue teams to search and check-up along the coastline and coastal areas where crew members may be drifted.

By the morning of April 25, 2024, the search and rescue force at the scene including 07 ships: specialized search and rescue vessels SAR 412, SAR 274, CSB 6006, BP 090501, An Vinh Express, and Hoa Binh Super Speed conducted a searching in an area of about 66 square nautical miles. Vietnam MRCC kept mobilizing more and more vessels in the vicinity of the area to participate in search and rescue coordination.

On April 25, 2024, under the direction of the Ministry of Transport, the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the on-site command center, the search force led by the SAR 412 as on-scene coordinator, expanded the search area, simultaneously, mobilized the maximum force and drone equipment of Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Joint Stock Company to conduct flight search in the coastal area around Ly Son Island and coordinate with the diving team to search underwater. The forces at the scene are urgently searching for the missing crew./.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang directly directed the search and rescue operations for the crew members in the incident of a barge sinking in the waters of Ly Son (Quang Ngai).

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang listened to the rescue plan report from the search and rescue team at the scene.

Maritime search and rescue forces deployed SAR operations to search for missing crew

Under the directives of the Ministry of Transport and the Vietnam Maritime Administration, maritime search and rescue forces are urgently searching for the missing crew.