Over 1,500 people seeking for remaining missing pilot in central Vietnam

The search and rescue mission for the remaining pilot on a missing SU-30 fighter jet continued in Vietnam Thursday, with over 1,500 people joining the search, according to the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

The Russian-made SU-30 fighter jet of Vietnam air forces disappeared from radar screen while carrying out a training mission offshore Vietnam's central Nghe An province on Tuesday morning.

There were two pilots aboard the aircraft, namely Tran Quang Khai and Nguyen Huu Cuong, who are said to be experienced and high-hour pilots. The jet took off Tuesday morning from Sao Vang airport in Vietnam's central Thanh Hoa province, some 140 km south of capital Hanoi, for training.

On Wednesday, one of the two pilots, Nguyen Huu Cuong, was rescued by local fishermen. Cuong was safe on land on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the MoD, on Thursday, the searching area was extended from waters off coast of central Ha Tinh province to northern Thai Binh province.

Equipments specialized for detecting plane's black box have been deployed, said the ministry.

A total of 1,564 people in navy, coast guard, border guard, air defense-air forces, Military Zone 4 and fishermen as well as 102 ships and five aircrafts have been joining the search and rescue, which has stepped into the third day.

So far, there has no sign of human or plane, said the MoD.

Vietnam has bought as many as 32 Russian-made Su-30 fighter jets. This is the first reported accident with the SU-30 fighters in Vietnam, according to local VNExpress online newspaper on Thursday. Endit