52 Years After the Soc Son Plane Crash: Tribute to the Fallen Journalists from Vietnam and Algeria

On March 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Soc Son Commune People's Committee, organized a ceremony to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the deaths of the Vietnamese and Algerian diplomats, army officers, journalists, and technicians who perished in the plane crash that occurred on March 8, 1974, in Soc Son Commune, Hanoi.

Those who participated in the ceremony included: the Ambassador of Algeria to Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Azeddine Bechka, accompanied by Embassy staff; Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan, Deputy Director of the Middle East and Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Head of Delegation; and representatives from various units of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Representatives from the National Steering Committee on the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains; representatives from the Policy Department of the Ministry of National Defense; and representatives from the Vietnam-Algeria Friendship Association were present.

From the Soc Son commune, Mr. Bui Bao Tuan, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, was in attendance. and Mr. Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Communal People's Committee.

Mr. Azeddine Bechka, Ambassador of Algeria to Vietnam, and Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan, Deputy Director of the Middle East and Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, burn incense sticks in memory of the officials and journalists from both countries who perished in the plane crash of March 8, 1974
Officials from the Information and Press Department and the Middle East and Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offer incense.

In particular, relatives of the Vietnamese officials who perished on March 8, 1974, were also present to offer incense and honor the memory of their deceased relatives
Fifty-two years ago, on March 8, 1974, a tragic plane crash claimed the lives of 15 journalists and technicians from Algerian news agencies and media outlets (El Moudjahid, APS, Algerian Television…), as well as nine Vietnamese journalists.

Among them were two officials from the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who were serving as interpreters and guides for the Algerian press delegation. Three crew members also perished. They were all aboard the flight accompanying the late Algerian President Houari Boumédiène on his visit to Vietnam.

To commemorate this event, Algeria and Vietnam erected memorial stelae in each country. In Vietnam, the stele was built and inaugurated at the crash site in the Soc Son district of Hanoi, during the state visit to Vietnam of former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in October 2000.