A passenger boat carrying 147 people sank after striking rocks in the Mekong River near Tham Ting (Pak-Ou) cave in Luang Prabang province several days back. -- Vientiane Times/ANN
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): A third and final victim has been recovered from the Mekong River following the sinking of a passenger boat near Tham Ting (Pak-Ou) cave, officially concluding search and rescue operations after a week-long effort.
The accident occurred at approximately 3:45pm on December 18, when the boat, which had begun its journey in Oudomxay province, struck submerged rocks in Pak-Ou district, Luang Prabang province. The impact caused the vessel to break apart and sink within 20 to 30 minutes.
The boat was owned by a resident of Luang Prabang city, which was the end point of the journey. After the stricken vessel was spotted as passengers shouted for help, local residents rushed to rescue those on board.
Records showed the boat was carrying 147 people, the majority of them foreign tourists. Of these, 125 passengers boarded in Pakbeng, including 118 foreign tourists and seven Lao nationals, while another 22 Lao passengers boarded at various points along the river.
The Luang Prabang provincial Department of Public Works and Transport (DPWT), together with the Luang Prabang Boat Association and the Pak-Ou district DPWT, dispatched two boats to the sinking vessel and the passengers were taken to Donmai Pier.
In the confusion of the hurried rescue operation, a mother and her two young children fell into the river unnoticed. When it was realised they were missing, local authorities and rescue teams launched an urgent search operation.
The search led to a series of tragic recoveries. On December 22, the body of the mother was found downstream a short distance away and was later identified as Mrs Paneeher, from Hongsa district in Xayabouly province.
On the morning of December 23, the body of her three-year-old daughter was discovered near Tham Ting cave. Two days later, authorities confirmed that the body of the woman’s one-year-old daughter had been recovered further downstream in Nan district.
Investigators said a navigational marker near the accident site had been knocked down by another vessel, preventing the boat’s captain from accurately identifying the safe channel. As a result, the vessel veered too close to the riverbank and struck underwater rocks. The boat reportedly broke in half and sank to the riverbed.
The Luang Prabang DPWT is conducting an enquiry into the incident in coordination with the Oudomxay provincial DPWT and the Oudomxay Boat Association. -- Vientiane Times/ANN
