Hanoi, Vietnam – Six people who were initially reported missing have been confirmed dead after a passenger boat capsized on Thac Ba Lake in Lao Cai province, according to the Vietnam News Agency on Sunday.
The accident occurred at around 7:15 p.m. local time on Saturday when a passenger vessel carrying 22 passengers and one driver collided with a stone-carrying boat, causing it to overturn and sink. All six victims were reported missing immediately after the incident.
Rescue teams recovered the final body at 5:30 p.m. on February 22, completing the search within 24 hours. Of the six victims, two were found by the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade of the Vietnam People’s Navy, while divers from other rescue units recovered four.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Ngoc Tuan Anh, Deputy Commander of the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade, said search operations were carried out under challenging conditions, with thick fog, light rain, and lake depths reaching up to 17 meters.
The brigade deployed 20 experienced frogmen along with deep-sea diving equipment, rescue boats, and other specialized gear shortly after receiving reports of the collision. By early morning, divers were inspecting the overturned vessel and surrounding waters.
The passenger boat, traveling from Yen Binh commune to Cam Nhan commune, was owned by a local resident, while the stone-carrying vessel belonged to a mineral company based in Luc Yen. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collision.
SOURCE : AP NEWS | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |
