Monday, January 26, 2009

Vietnam halts boat rescue mission

Vietnamese officials have postponed the search for survivors from a crowded ferry that sank on Sunday, to allow New Year celebrations to go ahead.
Forty people died when the vessel sank in strong currents about 20m (65ft) from the bank of the Gianh river, in central Quang Binh province.
Two people are still missing, and officials said the rescue mission would continue on Tuesday.
Local police said the small ferry had been overloaded with passengers.
Quang Binh police chief Phan Thanh Ha told the Associated Press there had been 80 people on board, even though it had a capacity of only 12.

One of the survivors, Cao Thi Huong, told the VnExpress website that the accident happened when passengers stood up in a rush to get off the boat as it approached a pier at about 0800 (0100 GMT).
Officials said many of those who drowned were women and children.
They had been crossing the river from the village of Quang Hai to go shopping ahead of the start of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The boat's captain and owner have been detained for questioning.
The BBC's Nga Pham, in Hanoi, says safety standards on Vietnam's rivers are poor, and boats are often overcrowded.

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