HANOI: Authorities in southern Vietnam have rescued 17

HANOI: Authorities in southern Vietnam have rescued 17 Indonesian sailors after their ship sank over the weekend, an official said Tuesday.

The Union Star 88, which was carrying 23,000 tons of rice, had been en route from the southern province of An Giang to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta when it encountered problems with its rudder, said an official with Can Tho Port Authority.

The ship ran aground on a sand bar as it was heading to a nearby port and sank Sunday after being battered by strong waves, the port official said.

The 17 sailors aboard the ship, all Indonesians, were rescued by port authorities, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The sailors have been given accommodation, the official said.

Last year, Vietnam exported 3.24 million tons of rice. Indonesia is one of Vietnam's biggest rice importers. -- AP