Vietnamese authorities have reported 13 seafarers dead from suspected food poisoning on a Chinese bulker en route from Thailand.
The AFP news agency cited a state rescue official and state media as saying eight other crew members from the 76,000-dwt China-flag Wu Zhou 8 (built 2013) were critically ill.
The incident came to light on Friday when the ship was near the southern Con Dao island.
“We were told of 10 bodies on the vessel. All died because of food poisoning, we were told,“ an official involved in the rescue effort told AFP.
The cause of death was yet to be confirmed, however.
Vietnam sent a rescue vessel 60 nautical miles out to the ship on Friday night.
The remaining 11 ill seafarers were taken off the bulker by helicopters hired by the shipowner, but two more died on the way to hospital. A third was reported to have died on Monday.
The vessel’s master, also said to be in a critical condition, had sent a request for emergency assistance after the suspected outbreak involving all 21 crew members.
AIS data showed the ship had left Sriracha on 28 September, bound for Lianyungang in China.
Huynh Trung Son, a local government official, told Reuters that by the time the choppers had reached the vessel, 10 people were already dead.
Critical condition
“The survivors are in critical condition and our medical staff are trying to save them,” Son said.
“We haven’t been able to identify the nationality of the sailors, but they are likely Chinese,” he added.
Local media said the bulker is owned by state-owned giant Cosco.
Equasis lists the vessel as managed by Cosco Shipping Seafarer Management and owned by Chaozhou Xingwang Shipping.
Last year there was a spate of mass food poisoning incidents on ships.
Russian maritime and river transport agency Rosmorrechflot said one seafarer died and five others suffered symptoms on the 1,800-dwt general cargoship April (built 1981).
And authorities in Trois-Rivieres, Canada reported that 17 seafarers were taken ill on a Thoresen Shipping supramax.
The 56,000-dwt Thor Magnhild (built 2006) had alerted the port that six out of 24 Thais on board were sick as it approached the terminal.
These incidents followed the death of one seafarer on a Precious Shipping bulker.
A jar of pickled bamboo shoots was said to be the source of the incident, which occurred on the 34,000-dwt handysize bulker Lanna Naree (built 2012) in the Indian Ocean.
The chief cook died and up to 13 others were reported to have become unwell before the bulker could divert to Male in the Maldives.
