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The decision was made to turn the ship around upon receiving the distress signal.
On February 28th, the SAND vessel, managed by Phuong Dong Petroleum Transport Company Limited, was en route from Sikka port (India) to Khor Al Zubair port (Iraq) to load oil. At the time, there were 23 crew members on board, all of whom were Vietnamese.
As the ship approached the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping lane connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea, the crew received news of a sudden escalation of military tensions in the Middle East. According to international maritime reports, the US and Israel had launched attacks against Iran, making the security situation in the region particularly sensitive. The risk of a wider conflict forced many commercial ships to change their routes.
Captain Bui Duc Tuan (from Ninh Binh, formerly Nam Dinh province) stated that at the time, the SAND vessel was in Omani waters, approximately 120 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz. After receiving a warning about the risk of maritime insecurity, the chartering company requested that the SAND not proceed further into the strait but temporarily leave the area and move to a safer area in the Indian Ocean. The crew immediately followed the instructions. The ship changed course, moving away from the sensitive area while the entire surveillance system was reinforced.
The US and Israel have launched attacks against Iran, making the security situation in the Strait of Hormuz sensitive.
At approximately 2 PM on March 1st (local time), while the ship was sailing in the waters off Oman, Captain Tuan received a distress signal from the MKD VYOM vessel, registered in the Marshall Islands.
According to initial reports, the MKD VYOM, carrying approximately 61,000 tons of gasoline, was en route from Ijmuiden port (Netherlands) to Saudi Arabia when it was allegedly hit by a torpedo or UAV, causing its starboard side to catch fire.
Upon receiving the emergency signal, Captain Tuan immediately reported the situation to the ship management company in Vietnam and contacted the captain of the MKD VYOM vessel directly to determine the location and extent of the incident. Exchanges via the maritime communication system indicated that the distressed vessel was in a very dangerous condition. A fire had broken out on the fuel tanker, posing a risk of widespread explosion.
After receiving approval from the management company, Captain Tuan quickly made the decision to divert the SAND vessel to approach the area where the ship was in distress.
"At that moment, I thought human lives were the most important thing, so I had to turn back and provide emergency assistance, even though I was also worried about the risk of being attacked," Captain Tuan shared.
Twenty-one crew members of the MKD VYOM were rescued by the SAND after leaving a burning vessel off the coast of Oman.
According to him, the waters off Oman were in a state of security instability at that time. Many ships in the area also received distress signals from MKD VYOM, but not all could approach due to concerns about the risks. Nevertheless, the Vietnamese ship decided to turn back.
The distance between the two ships wasn't too great at the time, but approaching in the dark and given the complex security situation required the crew to exercise particular caution.
Immediately after changing course, Captain Tuan instructed all crew members to prepare a rescue plan. Medical equipment, stretchers, medicines, breathing apparatus, warm blankets, etc., were brought onto the deck to be ready to respond if anyone was injured. The SAND continued to accelerate towards the area where the distress signal was received.
The nighttime rescue
Meanwhile, on board the MKD VYOM, the situation became increasingly critical. According to the Ukrainian captain, while the ship was drifting in Omani waters, a strange object, suspected to be a torpedo or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), struck the starboard side of the bridge. The collision caused a large explosion, killing a crew member working nearby. A fire then quickly broke out on the fuel-laden vessel.
The crew activated the CO2 fire suppression system and used portable fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems to control the flames. However, after hours of effort, the fire could not be extinguished.
After battling the fire for about six hours, the captain of the MKD VYOM was forced to make a final decision: to order the entire crew to abandon the ship.
Twenty-one crew members quickly boarded two lifeboats, left the burning ship, and sent out a distress signal on the maritime navigation system. On the dark sea, the two lifeboats tossed about amidst the waves and wind while the ship behind them was still engulfed in smoke and flames.
The SAND vessel then tracked VHF communication signals and GPS signals to locate the people in distress. After several hours of travel, when they were about two nautical miles away, Captain Tuan spotted a faint light emanating from a lifeboat. The ship quickly adjusted its course to approach.
To ensure the safety of the lifeboats in sea conditions of level 3-4, Captain Tuan maneuvered the ship so that the lifeboats were on the leeward side. All the deck lights were switched on, making it easier for those in the lifeboats to locate the SAND. At approximately 10 PM that same day, the first lifeboat carrying eight crew members approached the SAND. The crew immediately lowered the rope ladders and used supporting equipment to bring each person aboard. Medical equipment was also prepared to treat any injuries or exhaustion.
Within minutes, all eight crew members were safely brought aboard the ship. Shortly afterward, a second lifeboat carrying 13 people approached the SAND. Near midnight, the last remaining crew members were also brought aboard. In total, 21 crew members of the MKD VYOM were rescued. This group included a Ukrainian captain, four Bangladeshi crew members, and 16 Indian crew members.
Upon being brought aboard the SAND, many of them appeared exhausted after hours battling the fire and drifting at sea. The Vietnamese crew quickly provided drinking water, milk, and food for the rescued. They also set up temporary resting areas in the mess hall and living quarters so the sailors could recover their strength.
The crew of the SAND even shared a Wi-Fi connection so that those who had just escaped could call their families to let them know. After completing the rescue operation, Captain Tuan immediately reported the situation to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of Oman (MRCC Oman).
The rescue operation concluded after nearly a day of tension at sea.
Following instructions from the country's authorities, the SAND vessel then moved to the area off the coast of Muscat port to await the handover of the distressed crew members. By the morning of March 2nd, the SAND had reached the area near Muscat port. After completing the necessary procedures, by the afternoon of the same day, all 21 crew members of the MKD VYOM were transferred to an Omani rescue vessel and brought safely ashore. The rescue operation concluded after nearly a tense day at sea.
For Captain Bui Anh Tuan, this was the first time in 16 years at sea that he had directly organized an emergency rescue operation like this. "Out at sea, when you hear a distress signal, everyone tries to help. It's almost an instinct for seafarers," he said.
