Senior Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Van Duc, deputy head of the Quang Ngai provincial police's Criminal Investigation Department, announced the suspension at a press conference on August 21 on the province's socio-economic situation for the first seven months of the year.

Divers use buoys connected by ropes to gradually lift the ship from a depth of 45 m, June 2025. Photo: Port Authority

According to Duc, after the sinking in April 2024, authorities conducted autopsies on the four recovered bodies. On 17/5/2024, Quang Ngai police launched an investigation into "violations of regulations on operating waterway vehicles causing serious consequences" under Article 272 of the penal code.

The tugboat and barge were salvaged in June 2025, but the five missing people, including Captain Pham Van Hiep, have not been found.

"The investigation is temporarily suspended due to the expiration of the investigation period, but investigators will continue to apply professional measures to identify those responsible and take appropriate action," Duc said.

Around 4 a.m. on 24/4/2024, the tugboat and barge, carrying over 1,200 tons of rock from Ky Ha port (Quang Nam) to Ly Son island (Quang Ngai) for the construction of a breakwater at Ben Dinh port, sank approximately three nautical miles (over 5 km) from the island.

Authorities and local fishermen rescued survivors and recovered four bodies near the scene. Autopsies confirmed the cause of death as drowning. Notably, none of the four deceased were on the crew list when the ship left port. Meanwhile, all five crew members listed on the departure manifest remain missing.

Under Article 272 of the 2015 Penal Code, anyone operating a waterway vehicle in violation of regulations can face one to five years in prison. If the violation results in two or more deaths, the sentence can be three to 10 years; if three or more deaths, seven to 15 years.

Article 172 of the 2015 Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that the investigation period for criminal cases is no more than two months for less serious crimes, three months for serious crimes, four months for very serious crimes, and 12 months for especially serious crimes. If the investigation is not completed within these timeframes, the investigating agency must request an extension from the procuracy.

The maximum extension period is two months for less serious crimes, three months for serious crimes, four months for very serious crimes, and 12 months for especially serious crimes.

Pham Linh