The government of Vietnam has demanded that local authorities across the country strengthen drowning prevention efforts, especially for children and students.

On behalf of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Deputy PM Nguyen Hoa Binh on Tuesday issued an official directive highlighting the need for intensified safety measures following a drowning incident which left five students dead this week.

The drowning occurred on Monday afternoon in a Red River section passing through Hien Quan Commune in Tam Nong District, Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam.

At around 3:00 pm on Monday, a group of 10 students went to play near the river, with six of them taking a bath in there.

While one managed to swim to the shore, five eighth-grade students went missing and were suspected to have drowned.

The five bodies were recovered as of Wednesday morning.

PM Chinh urged the administration of Phu Tho and the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue to provide support for the affected families.

He asked provincial and city leaders to maintain close collaboration with relevant agencies, including the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Vietnam Women’s Union chapters, in preventing drowning incidents among children and students.

Educational institutions must maintain strict oversight to ensure student safety and prevent drowning, as well as increase investments in swimming facilities and public campaigns to teach water safety skills to children, parents, and students via media and local communication systems.

Local authorities were tasked with identifying and mapping dangerous water areas such as rivers, ponds, and reservoirs; setting up barriers and warning signs at hazardous locations; regularly inspecting water safety measures; and holding officials accountable for the implementation of drowning prevention plans.

The Ministry of Education and Training was assigned to urge local authorities and educational institutions to collaborate with families to teach students water safety and swimming skills.

The education ministry also has to develop and launch comprehensive drowning prevention programs in schools.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs must oversee the implementation of national programs for drowning prevention and conduct inspections in high-risk areas.

Although drowning fatalities in the Southeast Asian country have shown a gradual fall in recent years, drowning is one of the top 10 causes of accidental death among children.

A report by the social affairs ministry indicated that close to 2,000 children died from drowning each year between 2015 and 2020.

Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper cited statistics from the education ministry as reporting that approximately 500 drowning incidents nationwide claimed the lives of 1,956 students during the 2020-22 period.

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