Elite Hong Kong divers abseil down tanker’s cargo hold in search for two missing Vietnamese sailors after fatal blasts and fire
- Investigators looking into cause of blaze, as authorities and stakeholders consider salvage plan
- Complete retrieval and search of broken vessel could take months, factoring paperwork and logistics
The operation at 6.30pm followed an earlier boarding of the Aulac Fortune – a Vietnamese-registered tanker – by firefighters, after initial investigations determined it was not yet sinking.
The high-angle rescue team from the Fire Services Department comprised divers because the holds beneath the main deck were flooded with water, a source said.
He added that detectors for flammable gas were lowered into the enclosed space to check for any danger of further explosions, before the men were deployed.
“In addition to the search, the divers also studied damages beneath the main deck and assessed the risk,” he said.
According to the source, the two missing crew members were last seen working on the main deck before sailors had started connecting hosepipes to a berthed oil barge for a refuel. It was during the procedure at 11.30am on Tuesday that the blasts occurred.