Many people on board were not wearing life jackets.
Right from the beginning of the road to Ngoi Song village, Cam Nhan commune, Lao Cai province, the sound of funeral horns, choked cries interspersed with the call for the name of the deceased echoed in my ears.
The whole village was filled with mourning, along the road, four adjacent houses were tented and covered with white tarpaulins to organize funerals for 6 relatives who died in a waterway traffic accident that occurred on the evening of February 21, on Thac Ba Lake.
Inside the house, carriages of mandarins are placed in front of the yard, temporary altars are hastily set up in each house, incense smoke is billowing. Old people quietly sit leaning against house pillars, red eyes. Women cry uncontrollably, young children's faces are heavy with pain when losing loved ones.
Among those rescued after the boat capsizing on the lake, Mr. Hoang Van Hung (born 1975) is still in pain. The accident took away his son Hoang Duc M (born 2015), younger brother Hoang Van Th (born 1984, born mute) and many relatives and family members.
Sitting silently in the corner of the coffin of his son and younger brother placed on the wooden floor, Mr. Hung recounted: Four brotherly families agreed to go down to the lake for spring outing from the 2nd day of Tet, a total of more than 20 people, who are relatives and children in the family.
It's been a few years since the brothers went to wish Tet in such numbers. Thinking simply that meeting each other at the beginning of spring is for fun, no one thought something would happen," Mr. Hung said.
Mr. Hung's family went with 5 people, including husband and wife, two children and a younger brother living together. The ship was rented for a full package for both trips.
At about 6:30 am on February 21, the whole group went by boat from the ferry near the house across Thac Ba Lake to the old Yen Bai City to wish relatives a Happy New Year. Everyone determined to drink alcohol, so they did not ride motorbikes for safety and to admire the lake scenery.
In the afternoon of the same day, after visiting and eating, everyone boarded the boat and returned to the wharf. "I don't remember if the boat driver mentioned wearing life jackets or not, there was equipment on the boat but no adults wore it, my son was also like that. Thinking that he had gone to the river to fish with friends many times, he was subjective," Mr. Hung said sadly.
I didn't know the ship was only allowed to carry 12 people
According to Mr. Hung's account, at nearly 7 pm, when it was already dark, everyone saw the headlights from the stone-carrying ship shining straight in, dazzling.
The driver steered to avoid but it was too late. The 2 ships collided, after the first collision, the ship swayed strongly and then collided again and overturned.
At that time, the glass door was closed, everyone was sitting in the hold, the sky was pitch black. Everyone panicked when water flooded in, everyone's clothes were soaked.
The water leveled to my chest, I only had time to rush to find my child. I grabbed my child's hat and shirt, tried to push my child up to the front of the train but didn't know where he was stuck. I was not strong enough, and then fainted," Mr. Hung said.
Mr. Hung said that he does not remember who saved him. After being brought ashore, he woke up about an hour later.
According to this man, the family-rented boat that day was a converted boat, with an engine attached to the stern, and a seating area in the middle compartment for passengers. The boat has a roof, ventilation holes on both sides for sightseeing, and a boarding gate and life jackets available on board.
After the accident, everyone heard information that the inspection ship was only allowed to carry 12 people, but in reality it carried more than 20 people.
When renting a boat, I only heard that they agreed to go with that many people. I didn't look at the papers, and I didn't know the specific regulations. Renting a boat is done by my younger brother in the family, the driver is also a relative in the family, no one thought their spring trip would become a tragedy" - Mr. Hung choked up.
Regarding the above incident, according to the Vietnam Register, ship YB-0876H is only allowed to carry a maximum of 12 people, while in reality it carried up to 23 people at the time of the accident.
On February 23, the Investigation Police Agency of Lao Cai Provincial Police issued a decision to prosecute a criminal case, prosecute the accused and issue an arrest warrant for Trieu Van Noi (born in 1995, residing in Cam Nhan commune - passenger train driver) for violating regulations on controlling waterway vehicles.
