Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines on November 11 made urgent contact with authorised agencies in the host country to verify the information of six Vietnamese sailors’ kidnap and seek measures to rescue the victims as soon as possible, stated Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh.
Earlier the same day, the Vietnam Maritime Administration reported that pirates attacked a Vietnamese cargo ship, kidnapped six out of its 19 crewmembers and injured one off the Philippines' Basilan island.
The ship, named Royal 16, was on its way from Vietnam 's northeastern province of Quang Ninh to the Philippines with 19 crewmembers and a cargo of cement when it was attacked.
It is owned by the Quy Sang Maritime Transport Joint Stock Company and operated by the Hoang Gia Maritime Joint Stock Company.
The ship sent an alert at 3:31am from a location about 10 nautical miles (18 kilometres) southwest of Basilan island.
After the attack, the ship anchored safely at Zamboanga port in the southern Philippines with the remaining 13 crewmembers, including one who suffered gunshot wounds in the arm.
According to the Vietnamese Embassy, the injured sailor is receiving treatment at Brent Hospital in the Philippines, said Binh, adding that the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department has also informed authorised agencies at home of the case, urging them to coordinate with their Philippine counterparts in investigation.-VNA
