Vietnam oil tanker goes missing, piracy suspected

October 08, 2014 | 17:00

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The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) now suspects piracy in the case of a Vietnamese oil tanker carrying 18 sailors that has been missing since October 2.

Oil tanker Sunrise-689 carrying 18 sailors has been missing since October 2

According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the Sunrise-689, owned by Hai Phong Fisheries Shipbuilding Joint Stock Co., disappeared less than an hour after leaving Singapore, headed to Quang Tri Province.

The tanker was around 120 nautical miles from Singapore and 360 nautical miles from Ca Mau. The vessel was carrying just over 5,2 metric tonnes of oil. Most of the crew members from Haiphong City, while the rest are from Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh and Hai Duong provinces, the Voice of Vietnam reported.

Vietnamese maritime agencies are conducting a search, and the IMB has advised other vessels in the region to report any sightings.

The rising rate of piracy in Southeast Asian seas has raised fears that the vessel has been forcibly overtaken.

In August this year, the Ministry of Public Security warned Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) of the rising piracy rate. Potential attacks on medium-sized oil tankers and ships transporting valuable cargo such as kerosene were of particular concern.

The Ministry of Public Security said that ships operating in areas such as Strait of Malacca and in the territorial waters of countries with limited naval forces should be extra cautious.

The ministry added that unlike Somalian and Nigerian pirates, those who operate in Southeast Asia often do not kidnap, blackmail or cause injury to crew members, but are only after the cargo.

In the first half of this year, there were eight cases of piracy in Southeast Asia, up by five compared to the same period of last year.

Dtinews

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