A ferryboat carrying schoolchildren across the Mekong River capsized in Champasack Province yesterday, highlighting the need for safer routes for children.
The accident occurred in Khong District, Champasack Province, as students used the ferry to travel to their school located on the other side of the Mekong River.
ເຮືອບັກຫຼົ້ມຢູ່ບ້ານພີມານ.ເມືອງໂຂງ ແຂວງຈຳປາສັກ 31.3.2022.ວັນສຸດທ້າຍຂອງເດືອນ.ບໍ່ຄາດຄິດເລີຍວ່າຊິເຫັນຄິບນີ້.ກັບນັກຮຽນເຮົາ.ຫາຍເຄາະຫາຍເຂັນເດີບາດນີ້ນ້ອງນຸ່ງເອີຍ.ດີແລ້ວປອດໄພທຸກຄົນ
ລາຍງານໂດຍ: ແມ່ຄ້າອອນລາຍ pic.twitter.com/z8M4i43Y5K
— Stories Today (@SStoriesToday) April 1, 2022
After the ferry began to sink, students jumped overboard and swam across the river to safety.
Fortunately, no injuries and deaths were reported, however, this was not the first time such an accident has occurred.
More Bridges Needed in River Communities
An overloaded ferry went down in the Nam Ngum River in May 2015 with some 40 children aboard.
While thirty students swam to safety, ten of them went missing and were never found, believed to have been drowned or washed downstream.
At the time, local residents said the accident was the third to take place in recent years, with river communities urging authorities to construct more bridges.
