Three people died and many were injured after a trip boat carrying 56 crew members and passengers capsized on Saturday evening on the Han River, between the Thuan Phuoc and Han River bridges.

Most of the passengers on board the Thao Van 2 were from northern localities.

The dead were 7-year-old Trinh Kim Phuong, her brother 4-year-old Trinh Tien Huy, both from Bac Kan Province, and 47-year-old Pham Tan Cuong from Binh Dinh Province.

The submerged trip boat

Soon after the incident, municipal Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh and other city leaders arrived at the scene to monitor search and rescue activities.

A total of 100 rescue vehicles and 1,000 people were sent to the scene to help the victims.  The rescuers included professional divers from the Viet Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, the Da Nang Border Guard, the Military Zone 5 High Command, and others from Son Tra District.

It was reported that several passengers survived by swimming ashore, whilst others were saved by boats and speedboats operating nearby.  The injured were rushed to the Da Nang General Hospital and the city’s Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital for treatment.

Rescue operation in progress

The bodies of the 3 victims were all retrieved on Sunday afternoon, putting an end to the search and rescue operation.

The initial reason for the incident seems to be that the owner of the trip boat did not obey the regulations about transporting passengers and waterway safety.  The boat carried 56 people, which was double its capacity.

Municipal People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho noted that the capsized trip boat did not have a legitimate license to operate on the river.

A doctor examining a child survivor at the city’s Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital

A lucky survivor said that none of the passengers on board were wearing life jackets before the incident, adding that the boat’s crew members did not remind them to put one on.

Chairman Tho said that the treatment costs of the victims who are being treated at the 2 hospitals will be fully covered by the city’s budget.  In addition, one million VND will given to each of the injured people, and their travel expenses will be totally covered to allow them to return to their hometowns.

Earlier, on Sunday, the municipal Fatherland Front Committee gave 10 million VND to the family of the dead children.  Meanwhile, the Military Zone 5 presented gifts worth 3 million VND each to 8 injured children who are being treated at the city’s Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital.

Investigations have been opened into the culpability of the boat owner and the relevant local authorities.