HÀ NỘI — Relevant Vietnamese authorities are coordinating closely with the Chinese side to search for the fishermen from the central province of Quảng Bình who went missing after their vessels got into distress at sea, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng said on Thursday.

At the ministry’s regular press conference, Hằng cited reports from competent authorities which said on May 2 - 3, four fishing vessels from Quảng Bình with 24 fishermen on board got into distress at sea. Authorities and fishing vessels of Vietnam have been working with the search and rescue force of China to actively search for the fishermen on the vessels.

So far, 13 have been saved while one was found dead, and 10 are still missing, she noted.

The spokeswoman said as soon as receiving the notification, the foreign ministry liaised with the Chinese Embassy in Hà Nội and instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing to inform China’s search and rescue agency about the case and ask the Chinese side to send necessary forces and vehicles to search for and save the missing fishermen.

Relevant agencies of China have deployed vehicles to coordinate with Việt Nam in the search, she went on, adding that authorities of Việt Nam are also working closely with the Chinese side to search for the fishermen, stay updated with the situation, and get citizen protection measures ready. — VNS