Death toll in Cửa Đại boat accident rises to 15, two still missing

Local police search for the two missing victims on Sunday morning. VNA/VnExpress News Photo Trần Tĩnh

QUẢNG NAM — The number of passengers who died in a boat accident on Cửa Đại Beach, Quảng Nam Province on Saturday has risen to 15, with two others still missing.

An overnight search was conducted by the Ministry of Public Security’s Traffic Police Department and local water police to find the victims. At least 30 officers joined the search.

The two missing passengers are Nguyễn Minh Quang and Nguyễn Mai Anh, both 23 years old, according to reports from local authorities on Sunday.

The boat had been brought to the shore and is being examined.

The rescue process is continuing. The weather in the area has improved and there are no longer big waves that were hindering the search.

The boat sank off Cửa Đại Beach at about 2 pm on Saturday while returning to Cửa Đại Ferry Station from the Chàm Islands. There were 36 passengers on board, including two children.

Families of the victims pray for those that are still missing on Cửa Đại Beach on Sunday morning. VNA/VnExpress News Photo Trịnh Bang Nhiệm

President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc sent a message of condolences to families of the victims late on Saturday, as he returned to Việt Nam from a State visit to Singapore.

He asked the National Traffic Committee and the Quảng Nam People’s Committee to put all focus on searching for the victims and taking care of the injured, stressing it was a “highly serious, sudden accident that causes great loss to the people”.

He also asked the authorities to take care of the families of those who died and are missing, and a review of water traffic safety measures to ensure similar accidents don’t happen again, especially during the season of festivities. VnExpress News