Speaking to VietNamNet, Nguyen Quang Vinh, Chairman of Cam Nhan Commune People’s Committee, said the incident occurred at around 6pm in the Thac Ba Lake area of Bao Ai Commune.

According to information from Bao Ai Commune People’s Committee, at around 7:15pm on February 21, passenger boat bearing registration number YB0876H collided with a stone transport vessel numbered YB0919 on Thac Ba Lake, in the area of Lang Can Hamlet, Bao Ai Commune.

As a result of the collision, the passenger boat sank, leaving six people missing.

The six missing victims have been identified as H.T.T. (59), H.T.H. (55), T.T.H. (47), H.V.T. (42), H.D.M. (10) and H.T.T.T. (13). All are residents of Hamlet 1, Cam Nhan Commune.

Rescue forces are making every effort to search for the six missing victims. Photo: Provided by local authorities

Local authorities said the passenger boat was owned by Tran Anh Tuan, 47, a resident of Bao Ai Commune. The vessel had been purchased but ownership transfer procedures had not yet been completed. The boat was operated by Trieu Van Noi, 31, from Cam Nhan Commune. At the time of the incident, the boat was carrying 23 people, including the operator, traveling from Yen Binh Commune to Cam Nhan Commune.

The stone transport vessel belongs to Marble Vietnam Mineral Company, based in Luc Yen Commune. It was operated by Nguyen Van Tham, 42, a resident of Cam Nhan Commune. At the time of the collision, the vessel was carrying 515 tons of stone and was traveling from Luc Yen Commune toward Yen Binh Commune.

Immediately after the accident, authorities from Bao Ai and Cam Nhan communes, along with provincial agencies in Lao Cai, arrived at the scene to conduct search and rescue operations.

Duc Hoang