They are among 21 sailors on the Wu Zhou 8 en route from Thailand to China, who suddenly fell ill suspectedly from food poisoning when the cargo ship was about 63 miles to the southeast of Con Dao island, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.
After receiving distress calls from the ship on September 30 morning, the national rescue committee quickly dispatched two helicopters to bring the victims to a hospital onshore.
When the rescue force arrived, 10 sailors were already dead and 11 others were in critical conditions. Another two sailors died on the way to a hospital on Con Dao island.
Director of the Con Dao military-civil medical centre Le Cong Tho said on October 1 morning that six victims have gained consciousness and were able to communicate, two others have shown positive progress, and one was still in a coma.
He added that the provincial health department had sent two more doctors and one nurse to Con Dao to help with the treatment.
According to the Vung Tau-based coordinating centre for maritime rescue in region 3, rescue forces on a ship sent by the centre had reached the ship to preserve the bodies of the dead sailors.
