According to statistics from the provincial Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Department (LISAD), there were 46 drownings in 2013 and 64 in 2014.

So far this year, 25 children have drowned in the province. This figure is higher than in previous years, and the rainy season is only just starting in Dak Lak.

On July 1, three siblings died in Tam An Hamlet in Krong Nang District's Ea Tam Commune. The incident occurred after the three girls jumped into a pond for a swim.

"Every year, local authorities urge ethnic residents to teach their children about the risks water can pose.

"Children are still drowning due to negligence," Trang said.

It's time Dak Lak took more effective measures to tackle this problem, she added.

Tu Thi Khanh, head of the Child Care Education Office under LISAD, noted that a lack of safe playgrounds during the summer had added to the problem.

Through these activities, 300 to 400 students can learn to swim each year in Buon Ma Thuot City and Ea Kar District.

"We have lots of ponds and lakes, but many districts in the province do not have swimming pools," Khanh was quoted as saying.

According to Khanh, the department had collaborated with the Education and Training Department and the Youth Union to organise swimming lessons in schools and the community.

However, the results were limited due to a lack of funding.

Khanh added that most ethnic children did not have access to swimming lessons due to the lack of pools and coaches.

The department plans to submit policies to fund swimming lessons for all primary and secondary students.

The province will also erect warning signs and barriers near dams and reservoirs. 

VNS