Cargo ship abandoned following power loss in Gulf of Tonkin; all 14 crew rescued

Vietnamese maritime authorities came to the aid of 14 individuals who abandoned a cargo vessel after it became disabled and went adrift in the Gulf of Tonkin on Sunday, September 25.

The survivors, which included nine Chinese and five Vietnamese nationals, were crewmembers of the Panamanian-flagged dry cargo vessel China Board 1.

The ship had earlier departed Vung Tau and was en route to Macau when it suffered loss of engine power, causing it to drift in the waters east of the central province of Thua Thien Hue.

An attempt to have the vessel taken under tow was abandoned after its owners were advised of a forecast of rough sea conditions brought about by Typhoon Noru.

The crew abandoned the ship at around 07:00 local time on Monday, September 26. They were picked up out of the gulf by a Vietnamese rescue boat eight hours later.

China Board 1 was subsequently taken under tow later in the day on Tuesday. It is presently anchored five kilometres off the coast of Thua Thien Hue, where local authorities are monitoring the surrounding waters for possible oil spills.