13 RI sailors rescued as boat capsize

13 RI sailors rescued as boat capsize

VIETNAM: Thirteen Indonesian crew members from a cargo ship were rescued in Vietnamese territorial waters after their vessel capsized in heavy seas, maritime authorities said on Friday.

The Wahana Asia, which was carrying timber from Indonesia to Vietnam's central port city of Quy Nhon, sank off the coast of the southern province of Binh Thuan on early Wednesday morning.

A passing cargo ship, the Antiguan-registered Nord Welle, plucked the 13 Indonesian nationals, including one woman, from the South China Sea, a maritime official in Quy Nhon said.

A coast guard boat from the port city was then dispatched to ferry the rescued crew members to shore. Vietnam has been lashed by heavy storms over the past few days. --AFP