11 Vietnamese fishermen missing in South China Sea

http://topnews.in/files/Vietnam-9788.jpgHanoi  - A fishing boat with 11 crew members has gone missing while fishing near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, Vietnamese authorities said Monday.

The crew members' last radio contact with their families was on July 27, said Phan Van On, head of the Committee for Flood and Storm Control in the central province of Quang Ngai. On said the boat had been in an area unaffected by Typhoon Marakot, which hit the Chinese coast Sunday.

On's colleague Le Viet Binh said the boat had been reported near the disputed Spratly Islands before it went missing. He said the boat might have had an accident.

Binh said that while the boat might have had an accident, a number of fishing boats from Quang Ngai had been intercepted by Chinese patrols in recent weeks, or had been struck by unidentified vessels.

Chinese forces are currently detaining two Vietnamese fishing boats and a total of 25 crew members, saying they violated Chinese seasonal fishing bans.

Vietnamese authorities say the Chinese have demanded payment of fines before releasing the fishermen. (dpa)