On March 13, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center received an alert regarding the Truong Hung 268, which had run aground and subsequently sunk near the An Thanh Nam sandbank off Soc Trang. Initial reports indicated that nine crew members were aboard the vessel, which was carrying approximately 35,560 tonnes of sand from An Giang to Can Tho when the incident occurred. Two crew members were rescued by the vessel Grand Family 18, while the others were left adrift.
In response to the distress call, the search and rescue center issued an urgent maritime notice for assistance from nearby vessels and coordinated with local authorities to initiate emergency measures. They dispatched the specialized rescue vessel SAR 413 from Vung Tau to lead the operation. By 10:36 a.m. on March 14, search teams, including vessels Grand Family 18, Bien Dong 9, and the fishing boat BL 91558 TS, successfully located and rescued four crew members from the Truong Hung 268.
Further clarification from the captain and the vessel’s owner revealed that only four crew members were onboard, not nine as initially thought. All rescued individuals, including the captain and chief engineer, received first aid and were reported to be in stable condition. After nearly 20 hours of challenging search efforts amid strong winds and high waves, the operation accounted for all crew members. By 3:45 p.m. on March 14, SAR 413 transported the survivors to Dinh An Port, where they were handed over to authorities.
