All 11 Crew of Vietnam-flagged cargo vessel rescued in Singapore Maritime Search and Rescue Region
On 10 March 2024 at about 4PM (Singapore Time), the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC)[1] Singapore operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), received a distress alert from the Vietnam-flagged General Cargo vessel HUNG PHAT 89 (HP89) about 380 nautical miles east of Vung Tau, Vietnam, within the Singapore Maritime Search and Rescue Region.
2. MRCC Singapore immediately issued navigational broadcasts for vessels in the vicinity to keep a lookout and report sightings of the vessel in distress, and also alerted MRCC Vietnam.
3. On 10 March at about 7PM (Singapore Time), MRCC Vietnam informed MRCC Singapore that all 11 crew onboard the vessel HP89 had been rescued by the Vietnam Coast Guard, and that the vessel had sunk.
[1] The Singapore’s MRCC, located at MPA’s Port Operations Control Centre (POCC), monitors the Maritime Search and Rescue Region (MSRR) assigned by the International Maritime Organization and provides assistance to persons in distress at sea, including medical evacuation. The MRCC is equipped with terrestrial and satellite-based systems such as a shore-based Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, VHF Digital Selective Calling (DSC), Navigational Telex (NAVTEX), Enhance Group Calling (EGC) and the COSPAS SARSAT system to monitor and respond to distress alerts and calls from vessels in the MSRR.