Operations of the Da Lat Passion Limited Company – the organiser of a tour to Datanla waterfall during which three Britons died – were suspended on February 29, according to a decision by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lam Dong province.

The accident scene

One male tourist and two women died after slipping and falling off a waterfall while visiting the Datanla tourist attraction in Da Lat on February 26.

The trio were exploring the waterfall with a Vietnamese tourist guide when the accident occurred.

Mai Viet Dang, Chief Inspector at the department, said the company did not buy insurance for the tourists and let them cross the waterfall even though they had just registered for a trekking tour.

At present, the company’s director and the tour guide are requested to coordinate on the investigation.

After the accident, adventure tours at the Datanla waterfall have been halted.

Also in the Central Highlands province, on February 28 a Belarusian backpacker died when he slipped into the water near Pongour Falls.

He was seen leaving his rucksack on the edge of the falls and walking down toward a dangerously deep pool for a swim. He allegedly slipped and drowned shortly after entering the cold water, despite immediate rescue efforts from a group of picnic-goers from the southern province of Dong Nai.

On February 29, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ngo Hoai Chung stated that the agency asked the locality to carry out measures to reorganise adventure activities to ensure safety for tourists.

Waterfall accident victim’s body found

The body of a Belarusian backpacker who went missing while swimming near Pongour Falls, a popular tourist spot in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, was found 7 metres deep in the water on February 29 morning.

Bandarenka Viktar, 26, was seen walking alone toward the falls on February 28 afternoon without having paid an entrance fee, said Vi Van Hanh, deputy director of the Pongour Falls complex operator – Dat Nam Ltd. Co.

The visitor left his rucksack on the edge of the falls and walked down toward a dangerously deep pool for a swim, Hanh said. The tourist allegedly slipped and drowned shortly after entering the cold water, despite immediate rescue efforts from a group of picnic-goers from the southern province of Dong Nai.

He also noted that the victim had drunk alcohol prior to the tragedy.

Pongour Falls tourist complex is designed for sightseeing only, not adventure activities, so visitors are not provided safety gear at the entrance, Hanh explained.

The complex operator promptly started a rescue operation with local authorities after the accident was reported. However, it was difficult to access the location and due to cold weather, the victim’s body could not be recovered until the next day.

The provincial authority will soon return his body to the Consulate of Belarus in Ho Chi Minh City for further investigation.

The 40-metre-high Pongour Falls, also known as Bay Tang Falls, is located in Tan Thanh commune, Duc Trong district, 50 kilometres from Da Lat.

Lam Dong to survey adventure activities

Lam Dong Province tourism officials plan to strengthen oversight of adventure tourism following the recent death of three British tourists at Datanla Waterfalls in Da Lat.

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Lam Dong Province tourism officials plan to strengthen oversight of adventure tourism following the recent death of three British tourists at Datanla Waterfalls in Da Lat. — Photo baolamdong.vn

Nguyen Thi Nguyen, director of the province's Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said inspection teams would review dangerous tourist spots to come up with solutions to prevent hazards. Tourism companies do not scrupulously follow safety regulations.

Mai Viet Dang, the department's chief inspector, said last year the department had to haul up tourist companies five times to remind them about safety, yet some of them failed to follow safety norms.

Lam Dong Tourist Company, which manages the Datanla Waterfalls, said it faces a challenge in getting other tourism companies to co-operate while bringing visitors to the area for adventure tourism.

Tran Thi Hong Nhan, its general director, said her company used to work with other companies, but recently the latter have stopped co-operating and bring visitors to the area without approval.

"When we discover a case, we report to the local police. I cannot punish the companies."

Lam Dong Province has eight companies licensed to operate extreme tours, and most of their customers are from Europe and the US. Due to the intense competition, the companies offer tours at low prices and do not strictly follow safety regulations.

Between July and September last year the department organised several meetings between Lam Dong Tourist Company and the others, where the companies were told to bring tourists to Lam Dong in return for a commission. But they rejected the deal, opting instead for higher profits.

Vo Duc Trung, who has 10 years experience in organising extreme tours, said he is "frightened" to see how some companies organise these tours. Some serve a group of 20 to 30 tourists, but have only two tour guides, he said.

Guides need specific skills to take tourists on adventure tours, but most only have certificates for general tours, not extreme ones.

On Sunday one more foreign tourist was reported dead at Pongour Waterfall in the same province.

According to the police, Viktar Bandarenka, 26, of Belarus drowned in the pool at the foot of the waterfall. 

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