Six schoolgirls were drowned at a section of the Hong (Red) River located in Trang Viet Commune in Hanoi’s Me Linh District on Friday afternoon after they had rowed a small boat to pluck flowers in the river.

They died after swimming in the river, eyewitnesses said.

At the time of the drowning, local police and residents had rushed to the river to attempt their rescue but failed to save them.

Police said after conducting some initial investigations that a group of 11 6th-grade school-girls had attended a birthday party and then rowed a small boat to gather water-fern flowers in the river when they met with the deadly accident.

According to Ngo Thi Thuy Huong and Tran Le Mai, who were on the boat at the time of the accident, 7 out of 11 schoolgirls jumped into the river to swim.

They saved only one and then shouted for help.

The perished were identified as Nguyen Thi Thom, Vuong Thi Huong, Tran Thi Hue, Ngo Thi Hang, and Le Thi Mai.

The victims all were born in 2000 and were 6th graders at Trang Viet junior high-school.

Local authorities have offered VND8 million (US$400) to each family of the dead.

Source: Tuoi tre