At 11:52 a.m. on August 8, 2025, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center received information from the Androusa ship (Liberian nationality) and Cospas-Sarsat station about the GT Unity ship (Vietnamese nationality, 7,631 tons) having a fire in the electrical warehouse at position 07-09N; 107-29E (about 104 nautical miles southeast of Con Dao, about 191 nautical miles southeast of Vung Tau cape).

Immediately after receiving the information, the Center immediately contacted the Androusa ship directly, requesting the ship to return to the scene to assist the ship in distress. The Androusa ship returned to the scene and contacted the crew of the GT UNITY via VHF. According to information, the Vietnamese-registered GT Unity ship was carrying 3,872 tons of FO crude oil on its way from Malaysia to Dung Quat; 16/20 crew members on board had left the ship. The weather in the area was southwest wind level 3.

At the Central Command Center, Director of the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration Le Do Muoi directly directed the search and rescue activities: requested to issue maritime notices, urgently mobilize search and rescue vehicles, notify the Navy, Coast Guard and related forces to coordinate the search and rescue; contacted the Androusa ship to request to return to support the ship in distress. At 13:15, the SAR 413 ship was dispatched from Vung Tau to the scene to rescue the UT Unity ship and simultaneously reported to the Office of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee.

Currently, the Forward Command Center has been established at the Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center III in Vung Tau. The Center has requested the ship owner to be ready to hire support vehicles to extinguish the fire on the GT Unity ship and requested ships on duty at the drilling rig near the accident site to participate in the rescue, and urgently dispatched the SAR 413 ship to the scene to bring the injured crew members ashore, especially one crew member who was injured in critical condition. The Androusa ship approached the accident ship and rescued all 20 crew members of the burned UT Unity ship.

Director of the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration Le Do Muoi decided to award a certificate of merit to promptly recognize and commend the brave and responsible actions of the captain and crew of the Androusa ship in this incident.

The Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center will continue to update the next developments of the incident.