VietNamNet Bridge - On Sunday morning, seven students in the northern province of Lai Chau were swept away while crossing the Nam Mu River on their way to school. Six children were rescued and one went missing.

Mr. Lo Van Xuong, Chair of Ta Gia Commune in Than Uyen District, says that at around 10am, seven elementary students waded across the dry riverbed of Nam Mu. Halfway across, water from upriver suddenly flowed down, catching the children by surprise and sweeping them away.

"Six very fortunate children were rescued by nearby residents, and one is still missing," he says.

Xuong adds that several other accidents have occurred at this section of river and some people have died in the past after being swept away by flood. The commune has proposed the construction of a suspension bridge many times to district authorities.

"These students were from Noong Quoai Village. They are usually accompanied through the river by their parents or teachers, but that day they waded through it alone because the water level was very low," Xuong said.

The local government has mobilized search and rescue forces to find the missing child. The Ban Chat hydropower plant, which is located upstream of the river, stopped power generation to aid in the search and rescue activities.

Noong Quoai Vilalge is located on the banks of the Nam Mu River, over 8km from the commune center. The students are Hmong ethnic people and they lived at the boarding school. The accident occurred on Sunday, when the children were returning to school from home to begin a new school week.

Le Ha