Boat capsizes, 3 killed

A boat capsizes on Thursday morning near Gành Hào sea gate in Bạc Liêu Province. – Photo congan.com.vn

Viet Nam News

BẠC LIÊU – Three people died when a boat carrying some 80 attendants of the Nghing Ông Festival capsized in Bạc Liêu Province on Thursday morning, the Tiền Phong (Vanguard) reported.

The boat capsized shortly after it departed from the Gành Hào estuary, Bùi Minh Túy, chairman of Đông Hải District’s People’s Committee, said.

Eleven victims were rescued by the local rescue force and three bodies were recovered from the boat’s cabin, Lương Ngọc Lân, director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said.

The accident spot is some 300m from the estuary, he added.

Locals said there were some 80 people on the boat at the time of the accident, the newspaper reported. Some managed to swim back to the shore when the boat capsized, they said.

Initial investigation revealed that the boat belonged to fishermen. It capsized because it was overloaded, the newspaper mentioned.

Rescue activities are being expanded for the missing victims, chairman Bùi Minh Túy said.

The Nghing Ông Festival was held on April 4-6 this year at the Ông Nam Hải Shrine in Bạc Liêu Province’s Đông Hải District. It is a traditional festival of the coastal province’s fishing community, who prays for a safe and prosperous fishing season. – VNS