A total of 13 deaths and 101 accidents have been recorded across the country during this year’s boat racing festival.
According to the traffic police department, 101 accidents occurred between October 9 and 11, which damaged 186 vehicles, 175 people suffered injuries, and 13 people died.
Four people died in Bokeo province, Khammouane and Champasack reported two deaths each; and Vientiane Capital, Oudomxay, Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, and Vientiane province all saw the death of at least one person.
The most accidents (12) took place in Vientiane Capital; 11 in Champasack; 10 in Vientiane province; and eight each in Bolikhamxay, Oudomxay, Luang Prabang, and Attapeu. Bokeo and Savannakhet had seven accidents, while Luang Namtha and other remaining provinces saw six.
A couple of boat racing accidents also occurred during this time. Champasack’s Xaysomboun district reported the death of one man on 11 October, who went missing on 9 October. His racing boat with eight men aboard got stuck on their way back home in a strong current on the Sedone river, which moved the boat off course and made it crash against a massive rock, splitting it in two. This caused one of the men to fall off the boat.
The deceased body of the missing man was discovered by the local rescue team on Monday and his remains were handed over to his family who held a funeral for him the day after.
A similar incident occurred this week in Xayaboury province as well, when one woman fell off her racing boat and went missing and was subsequently found dead, and five women were injured.
