(VOVworld) - A funeral was held in at the National Funeral House in Hanoi on Thursday for 9 crewmembers of the CASA-212 aircraft which crashed in a search and rescue mission.

(Photo: VOV)

Present were Party General Secretary and Secretary of the Central Military Commission Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. The leaders wrote in the funeral book that the Party, the State, the army and the people will forever remember the great sacrifice the crewmembers have made for Vietnam’s construction and defense.

The recovered bodies of the crewmembers were cremated at Hoan Vu Crematory in Hanoi and laid to rest at war martyr cemeteries in their home provinces.

The CASA-212 rescue aircraft of Brigade 918 of the Air Defense – Air Force Service crashed on June 16 near Bach Long Vi Island east of the port city of Hai Phong. All 9 crewmembers were killed.

In recognition of their sacrifice, the Ministry of National Defense increased the salary of late Colonel Le Kiem Toan, head of Brigade 918, and gave grade promotions to the other eight. The President awarded the Fatherland Defense Order, first class, to each of the 9 men. The Prime Minister officially acknowledge them all as martyrs.