Vietnamese search plane missing with 9 people aboard

Vietnamese rescuers have found some pieces belonging to a search plane that went missing with nine people aboard while attempting to locate a pilot from a crashed fighter jet, the military said on Friday.

The pieces including wreckage bearing the logo of the search plane, a tire, a seat and personal belongings of crew members were discovered 20 nautical miles (37km) southeast of Bach Long Vi island and 3 nautical miles east of the demarcation line between Vietnam and China in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The plane lost contact with command centre early on Thursday afternoon, some 44 nautical miles (81km) southwest of Bach Long Vi island, off the coast of northern port city of Hai Phong.