In-depth
Hard reporting days amid the mystery search
  • By Pham Tam-Cong Quang | dtinews.vn | March 14, 2014 03:08 PM
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 >>  Mystery deepens as search for missing plane goes on

The seventh day of search efforts for the missing Malaysian jetliner has meant hard working days not only for the search teams, but also for the media crews covering the story on Phu Quoc Island.

After the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 went missing, hundreds of local and foreign reporters descended on Phu Quoc Island to gather news. Lam Hieu, a reporter of Voice of Vietnam said, "A lot of male reporters said they were willing to take my place, but I decided to temporarily put my family life on the back-burner to deliver the most urgent news to our audience."

Lam Hieu (right), reporter of Voice of Vietnam on Phu Quoc Island

 

120 registered reporters on Phu Quoc Island 

Over the last few days, reporters have had little rest, working from anywhere they could, in including the staircases of storage and conference halls.

 

 Working on the staircase

Because the command headquarters at Phu Quoc is located far from the airport and residential areas, reporters have been faced various challenges in finding food and other necessities.

Even when the deputy transport minister, Pham Quy Tieu, announced that they had scaled back search operations on March 12, all 120 reporters did not dare venture far off the headquarters for food and water, but stayed around for any new development.

 

 Sharing loaves of bread

Many reporters at the airport even asked to to join in the search with the crew. Pham Thi Tu Quyen, a business owner, said reporters who have not been able to go with the search crews on helicopters or ships bought ship tickets to go out to the sea on their own. Three Chinese reporters paid for a long trip to Tho Chu Island.

 

 Taking pictures

Some journalists have had to make the 30km trip to gather news. Some decided to sleep overnight at the command headquarters to be ready for the next morning's press conference.

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