Training SU-30 jet missing offshore in C. Vietnam, search efforts underway

HANOI - A Russia-made SU-30 fighter jet of the Vietnam air forces went missing on a training mission offshore in Vietnam's central Nghe An province Tuesday morning. Joint search efforts are underway, a local official told Xinhua.

Huynh Thanh Dien, vice-chairman of Nghe An provincial people's committee, said over phone that "As soon as learning about the information on Tuesday morning, the province has instructed coordination of provincial military command, border guard, department of agriculture and rural development, search and rescue force, fishermen, Military Zone 4, and navy to deploy ships and boats to carry out the search and rescue mission."

There were two pilots aboard the jet - Tran Quang Khai, chief of staff of Regiment 923, and Nguyen Huu Cuong, flight lieutenant, reported Thanh Nien (Young People) online newspaper.

"So far, we are checking in suspicious areas," Dien said.

According to Thanh Nien, the jet took off Tuesday morning from Sao Vang airport in Vietnam's central Thanh Hoa province, some 140 km south of capital Hanoi, for training.

It disappeared from radar screen at 7:29 am local time (0029 GMT), reported VNExpress online newspaper.

According to Military Zone 4, a local fisherman, who was working on sea, said he saw a plane falling down into the sea at around 8:30 am local time to the east of Mat island in Nghe An province, some 260 km south of capital Hanoi.

Khai and Cuong are said to be experienced and high-hour pilots, Thanh Nien quoted sources as saying.

Local media reported that one of the two pilots has managed to escape the fighter and swim to the coast. Concerning the news, Dien said he will instruct to "verify the information".