Ship Collision Leaves 1 Dead, 7 Missing Off Vietnam

Vietnamese port authorities confirmed that early Monday morning a cargo ship transiting to Malaysia collided with a fishing vessel with 16 fishermen aboard.

The collision about 50 nautical miles to the south of Vung Tau - a group of seaports, one of the sea transport hubs of Vietnam. The fishing vessel sunk after the impact. Eight people were rescued by the Singaporean ship Sima Sapphire, leaving another eight missing.

Two rescue vessels are conducting a search-and-rescue for the victims and called for fishing vessels operating in the area to join the search. Two helicopters were also mobilized to search for victims.

One body was later recovered, seven remain missing.

The Sima Sapphire is a Singapore-flagged container ship built in 2006. The ship is managed by Simatech Shipping.