Authorities round up the area where the My An 1 ship is sunken off
the coast of Vung Tau on September 14, 2021 in case an oil spill occurs.
Photo courtesy of the Marine Administration of Vung Tau

A Vietnamese ship carrying nearly 10,000 tons of clinker sank Tuesday after a giant Liberian-flagged vessel collided with it off the coast of Vung Tau.

My An 1, which was carrying the clinker from the northern Quang Ninh Province to Ho Chi Minh City, was anchored near a buoy 12 km from Vung Tau, which borders HCMC, to clear a Covid-19 checkpoint at around 2:30 a.m. when the Lisa Auerbach rammed it.

The 138-meter ship was en route to Lotus port in Ho Chi Minh City, the Marine Administration of Vung Tau said.

All 17 members of the crew were rescued and taken on board by the Liberian ship.

The 15 people on the Lisa Auerbach were unharmed.

Authorities have marked the location of the sinking and issue maritime safety warnings. No oil spill had been detected as of Tuesday afternoon, and rescue forces are on standby in case a spill does occur.

The administration said the collision was an accident.

All people involved in the incident have been taken to Vung Tau for Covid-19 quarantine as a precaution.

An investigation has begun.