Toddler becomes 16th death in Hoi An boat accident

Rescuers found her body in a technical box of the motorboat late Sunday night after they had already searched the boat for several times, said Nguyen Van Son, chairman of Hoi An.

She was wearing a life jacket when found.

Last Saturday afternoon, the speedboat operated by the Phuong Dong Company was carrying 39 people, including the captain and two crew members, from Hoi An’s Cham Islands to the shore when it was engulfed by large waves around three kilometers away from the Cua Dai Beach.

Of the 34 people taken to shore within Saturday, 13 were confirmed dead that day.

On Sunday, two more bodies were found.

All the victims are tourists from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Captain of the boat, Le Van Sen, said the motorboat has no open door following a standard set by the Ministry of Transport, leaving little space for emergency exit.

Sea areas from south-central Binh Dinh Province to the southern Ca Mau Province and other sea areas of the East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea, have experienced strong winds and rough seas for about a week.

The Cham Islands, about 18 km away from the Cua Dai Port in Hoi An, is a major tourist destination. It takes about 15 minutes to reach the islands from the shore using motorboats.