Hundreds of ships sunk
Statistics as of September 19 show that the number of ships sunk by storm No. 3 at storm shelters in Quang Ninh is 269, including 116 fishing boats, 126 cargo ships, 27 tourist boats and other ships.
According to the Department of Transport of Quang Ninh province, the number of sunken ships has increased sharply compared to the previously reported number because many ship owners continue to declare sunken ships as well as local authorities and functional agencies conduct checks. However, the exact number cannot be determined because there are ship owners who go looking for their ships without reporting, or abandon their ships because it costs money to salvage them, and even if they are salvaged, they may not be able to use them.
In recent days, some large shipping companies, in addition to searching for their own ships, have asked the online community to help them, because many of them still go to sea every day.
Thanks to that, a coal processing and transportation unit in Quang Ninh found a pusher far from the anchorage to avoid storm No. 3. This unit is also searching and asking the community to help find 2 other pushers, rented from an outside company.
Someone used a drone to search for the shipwreck and found a barge partially floating on the water at low tide. The photo of the barge was then posted online in the hope of helping the ship owners recover their property.
According to the Department of Transport of Quang Ninh province, searching for sunken ships will take a lot of time, not to mention salvaging them, because most of the ships sank at anchorages to avoid storms, but were then swept away by storms and strong waves.
A shipping corporation, one of the largest in the country, had 5 barge convoys, with 27 vehicles (5 pushboats and 22 barges) sunk, but to this day they have not all been found.
“In the middle of that vast ocean, where can we find it?” - a ship owner lamented. According to this ship owner, some people whose small boats have sunk are about to give up, because according to regulations, the ship owner must pay for the salvage, but once salvaged, can they still be used?
Traffic safety concerns
According to Mr. Hoang Quang Hai - Director of the Department of Transport of Quang Ninh province - right after the storm, the unit deployed forces to check all inland waterways and waters managed by Quang Ninh province to ensure traffic safety, but no sunken ships were discovered. However, according to Mr. Hai, no sunken ships were discovered in the traffic lanes today, but there may be one tomorrow, because the current will push the ships everywhere.
Typically, a few days ago, a unit of the Northern Maritime Safety Corporation checked shipping lanes and discovered a sunken ship deep underwater and provided information about its shape and size, but when some ship owners went to the exact location, the ship was no longer there.
According to some cruise ship owners, after the storm, they used boats to survey some routes and waterways, so that the tour would not encounter shipwrecks. However, the risk is still there, because currently, in addition to 27 cruise ships, most of which are half-submerged at Tuan Chau Port, the remaining ships are deep under the sea.
While the flow in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay is quite tight in some areas, the difference in water level at the highest and lowest levels is 3-4m.
According to the Department of Transport of Quang Ninh province, after reviewing the regulations, only fishing vessels are supported with a part of the salvage cost, but the procedures and conditions are very strict, such as: Registration, inspection... Therefore, the possibility of ship owners abandoning their ships is very high. According to regulations, if ship owners abandon their ships, the locality or unit in which area the ship is located will be responsible for salvage.
In particular, inland waterway routes and local waters are managed by provinces and cities, while maritime routes and seaport waters are managed by the Ministry of Transport. The Department of Transport of Quang Ninh province recommends that ship owners, captains, and crew members should be more observant and cautious when traveling.
