Chinese vessel sinks off Vietnam’s northern coast

A Chinese cargo ship carrying 116 tons of frozen buffalo meat sank three miles off the coast of the northern province of Quang Ninh at noon on Sunday.

All its crew were rescued, but an oil spill from the sunk vessel as well its cargo of meat is threatening the province’s marine environment.

The vessel was on its way from Van Gia Port in the city of Mong Cai to Bach Long Island of China when it took on water and sank very fast, according to officials from the Maritime Administration of Quang Ninh.

A rescue team dispatched by the provincial Vietnamese coast guard cooperated with a Chinese vessel passing by to take the ship’s crew to safety.

Meanwhile, oil from the sunk vessel has begun spilling into the sea.

Nguyen Duc Manh, deputy head of the provincial maritime administration, said while they are taking actions to prevent any spill from spreading, they are also waiting for responses from the owner and captain of the Chinese ship on measures to deal with the problem.