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Local authorities of the island district of Ly Son in the central province of Quang Ngai has asked relevant agencies to start search operations for six men who have not been heard of for many weeks.

Deputy Chairman of Quang Ngai province's People's Committee Truong Ngoc Nhi said the committee would send a dispatch to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Consular Department to ask for assistance in the search via diplomatic channels.

Chairman of the Ly Son District People's Committee Tran Ngoc Nguyen said that the crew of boat Qng-66192, led by Captain Le Minh Tan, were harvesting seaweed in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago when last seen and were supposed to have returned to shore a month earlier.

He said the boat was last seen on January 26 by another fishing vessel off Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago's Bom Bay Island.

Speaking to Vietnam News from Ly Son, the captain's wife Ngo Thi Viet said she was desperately waiting for her husband's news. His boat headed out to the sea on December 18, 2010 and Tan communicated with his family nine days later through ICOM marine radio equipment.

"Since then, I haven't heard from him and it has left me and my two children restless. We don't know what's happened to him," she said.

Viet said that she and relatives of other crew members had expected them to return during Tet because their food reserves were only sufficient to last one month.

"At first, I thought they would arrive home a few days late because the boat would have to shelter somewhere from the stormy weather," Viet said. "We had no idea that several days would turn into weeks and there would be no sign of them".

Source: VNA