A barge carrying rocks capsized near Ly Son, 3 people died

Quang NgaiA barge carrying rocks to construct a breakwater for Ben Dinh port suddenly capsized more than 5 km from Ly Son island, causing 3 deaths and 2 missing people, on April 24.

According to Quang Ngai Port Authority, the ship pulling the barge carrying stone departed at 4:00 a.m. from Ky Ha port (Quang Nam). When more than 5 km from Ly Son island, the barge capsized, causing the tugboat to sink 5 people (from Quang Ngai and Long An) into the sea. Many agencies coordinated the rescue. By 10:30, the forces found 3 bodies.

The sunken barge had a technical safety and environmental protection certificate valid until February 26, 2025. Image: Quang Ngai Port Authority

A tugboat with a capacity of 350 horsepower towing a barge with a tonnage of more than 1,300 tons, belongs to Minh Linh Company Limited. This vehicle is transporting rocks to the contractor constructing Ly Son breakwater – a 250 billion project to break waves for Ben Dinh port.

Breakwater for Ben Dinh port, where barges are expected to transport stone to serve construction. Image: Pham Linh

The sea area near Ly Son island currently has southerly winds, causing ships to experience large waves. Initially, the authorities determined that the barge carrying rocks was too heavy in high wind conditions and therefore sank.

Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority continues to coordinate with local authorities, Ly Son Border Guard Station and mobilize boats near the accident area to support the search. This unit also notified the Region II Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center for support.

Location of sunken barge. Graphics: Khanh Hoang — Location of sunken barge. Graphics: *Khanh Hoang*

By 3:00 p.m., forces found one more missing victim. Currently, the search has been expanded because people reported that the number of victims could be more than 5.

According to the construction unit, to complete the collection of 120,000 m3 of stone to construct the breakwater, the contractor hired three transportation companies from Ky Ha to Ly Son, a distance of more than 50 km. The barges carry 600-1,600 m3 per trip. It is currently unknown how many m3 the barge was carrying when it capsized.

Ly Son Island has an area of about 10 km2, is the frontline island district of Quang Ngai, 15 nautical miles (about 27 km) from the mainland.