CHINA / National

China saves 330 Vietnam fishermen caught in typhoon
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-05-21 17:01

A total of 330 Vietnamese fishermen caught in Typhoon Chanchu have been saved by Chinese rescuers, said China Maritime Search and Rescue Center on Sunday.

The center said Saturday afternoon they saved 97 Vietnamese fishermen on three boats, with 18 bodies aboard. No new recovery of bodies had been reported as of Sunday afternoon.

According to the center, by 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, Chinese rescue ship "Nanhaijiu 111" had found 21 Vietnamese fishing boats in danger in the sea areas of the Dongsha Islands, in the South China Sea.

"Nanhaijiu 111" has provided food, fresh water and fuel to 306 Vietnamese fishermen on 14 fishing boats, said the center.

On Friday afternoon, another Chinese rescue ship "Dejin" found and saved another endangered Vietnamese fishing boat with 24 fishermen on board near the Dongsha Islands.

The rescue operation has lasted for more than 40 hours, and Chinese rescuers are continuing their search for other endangered Vietnamese fishermen, who are estimated at more than one hundred.

The center said they received a telegraph from the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam Friday afternoon, which said 22 Vietnamese fishing boats and hundreds of fishermen were caught in the storms brought by Typhoon Chanchu, running out of oil and fresh water. Having lost contact with them, the Vietnamese side asked the Chinese side for help.

The rescue center immediately launched an emergency rescue program, and one hour later "Nanhaijiu 111" rescue ship was on the way to the site. It arrived at Dongsha at 3:33 a.m. on Saturday after about 10 hours voyage.

The Chinese Ministry of Communications said during the successful large-scale international rescue operation ever launched by China, they have contacted with the Hong Kong maritime rescue center for assistance.

While alarming the passing ships for safe voyage, the center also asked them to give a hand in search of the missing Vietnamese fishermen.

According to the center, at 6:40 a.m. Saturday, after three-hour search upon its arrival, "Nanhaijiu 111" got in tough with one Vietnamese fishing boat, "DNA09189", which carried 32 fishermen and eight bodies.

Rescuers helped the fishing boat regain the capability to sail independently and invited it to join the search for the other Vietnamese fishing boats.

By 11:47, another two Vietnamese fishing boats, "DNA90345" and "DNA90299", were found some 20 nautical miles off the Dongsha Islands. There were 32 fishermen and five bodies on "DNA90345", and 33 fishermen and five bodies on "DNA90299". Rescuers then offered fresh water, food and fuel to the two Vietnamese fishing boats.

By 16:45, Chinese rescuers found nine more Vietnamese fishing boats about eight nautical miles off the Dongsha Islands, said the center.

The center said it kept reporting the progress to the Vietnam's national rescue center.

On Saturday, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry called the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, conveying the sincere thanks of the Vietnamese government for China's help to the endangered Vietnamese fishermen, and hoping the Chinese side could continue the rescue operation.

Rescuers said the excited Vietnamese fishermen, after being saved, stammered thanks in Cantonese. Some of them raised posters they wrote in both Chinese and English which read "Thank the Chinese government! Thank Chinese sailors! Thank you!"