On the morning of 29/8, the Da Nang People's Committee announced that 32 fishermen were discovered and rescued in the Truong Sa waters on 28/8. Two fishing vessels, BD-98960-TS and BD-98848-TS, located the survivors. Vessel KN 472, belonging to the Coast Guard Region 3 Command, then received the 32 individuals and transported them to Truong Sa Lon island for medical attention. The rescued crew members were reportedly in a very weak condition.

An extensive search operation is underway for the 18 missing individuals. Three coast guard vessels — KN 417, KN 401, and CSB 6007 — are participating, alongside fishing vessels BD-96968-TS, BD-98848-TS, and BD-98960-TS, as they continue to expand the search area.

Da Nang city is coordinating rescue efforts with the Navy, Coast Guard, Border Guard, and the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center. Medical facilities are also being prepared to receive the victims.

Fishing vessel QNa-90859-TS on a previous voyage, 2025. *Photo: Thuong Dai*

The QNa-90859-TS vessel, nearly 24 meters long with an engine capacity of over 1,680 horsepower, is a squid fishing boat. Captained by Huynh Van Tri, 47, from Nui Thanh commune, Da Nang city, the vessel departed from An Hoa port on 29/7, carrying 50 people.

The vessel's tracking device recorded its last signal at 12h54 on 25/8. This location was approximately 35 nautical miles west of An Bang island in the Truong Sa special zone, and about 540 nautical miles south-southeast of Son Tra cape.

When the vessel lost contact, the area was experiencing southwest winds of level 5-6 (approximately 29-49 km/h) and rough seas. Authorities subsequently mobilized various resources and nearby fishing vessels to conduct the initial search.