Quang Ninh provincial authorities expressed their sympathy to the families of the victims.
Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Doc said that the province has done all they can for the survivors, including providing accommodation in the four-star ASEAN Hotel in Bai Chay, Ha Long City.
The province has worked with the Foreign Ministry and the embassies of the victims who were on board to complete the necessary procedures for the repatriation of the surviving tourists and the bodies of the dead victims.
The committee provided 10 million VND to each
foreign survivor of the accident and 20 million VND to each family of
dead victims. It will cover all costs for cremation of bodies of the
dead victims in Quang Ninh.
Immediately after the accident, the
provincial leaders rushed to the scene to direct the rescue operation
while local police and armed forces have been deployed for the work.
Quang Ninh police have prosecuted the case and are investigating the case further.
Also
on Feb. 18, the provincial People’s Committee suspended passenger
transportation in Ha Long Bay by the Truong Hai Co. Ltd., which owned
the sunken ship.
The cruise boat, the Truong Hai 06 QN 5198,
which had 21 tourists and six crew on board, sank while anchored off of
Titov island in Ha Long Bay at 5 am on February 17.
Nine foreign tourists and all the crew were rescued, while 12 others lost their lives. Of the deceased, two were Swedish, two American, two Russian, one Scottish, one Japanese, one French, one Swiss and one Australian of Vietnamese origin along with their Vietnamese tour guide./.
Doan Nguyen Duc, chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Corporation, has rejected all accusations made against his company of deforesting and appropriating land in Laos and Cambodia by the NGO Global Witness, calling them "groundless."
The Viet Nam Coal and Mineral Group (Vinacomin) claims that bauxite mining plants Tan Rai and Nhan Co in the Central Highlands are socio-economically efficient and environmentally safe.