Over 300 Sri Lankan citizens in distress at sea brought ashore safely

Over 300 Sri Lankan citizens in distress at sea brought ashore safely (Photo: VNA)

Ba Ria – Vung Tau (VNA) – The southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau’s rescue force coordinated with representatives of the Sri Lanka Consulate General in HCM City to receive over 300 Sri Lankan nationals who were saved by a Japanese cargo ship after their boat faced a serious incident in the waters off the Vietnamese locality on November 8. 

At 8:30pm, the first group of 155 Sri Lankans were transported to the port of Vietsovpetro Oil and Gas Joint Venture (Vung Tau city) by the rescue ship SAR 413, and the other 150 were also brought ashore on the same day. 

Accommodations for them were arranged in Vung Tau city, Dat Do and Xuyen Moc districts. 

Two days earlier, on November 6, the Myanmar-flagged fishing vessel LADY R3, which was carrying them to Canada, broke down and drifted at sea about 258 nautical miles to the southeast of the province’s Vung Tau cape. Encountering the incident coupled with strong wind, the ship sent out a mayday.

Accommodations for the Sri Lankan citizens are arranged in Vung Tau city, Dat Do and Xuyen Moc districts. (Photo: VNA) 

Upon receiving the distress signal, the Region 3’s maritime search and rescue coordination centre urgently searched the waters to find the fishing vessel.

From 3:30 to 5:30pm on November 7, Japanese cargo ship HELIOS LEADER, en route from Japan to Singapore, approached the LADY R3 and brought all the passengers and crew members on its board.

At noon on November 8, the Japanese vessel transported the Sri Lankans to Vung Tau anchorage area and handed them over to Ba Ria-Vung Tau authorities./.

VNA