Around 7:30 AM on 3/8, two boys from hamlet 9, Quynh Son commune, went to play near a quarry in hamlet 12. When they didn't return by noon, their families reported their disappearance to the authorities and began a search.

At 4 PM the same day, residents discovered the bodies of the two boys floating in a pond near the quarry.

The area where the bodies of the two boys were found. Photo: Viet Hung

The area where the bodies of the two boys were found. Photo: Viet Hung

Authorities believe the boys may have slipped and fallen into the pond while playing. The pond, located near a residential area, spans hundreds of square meters and is over two meters deep in some places.

Nearly 2,000 children drown each year in Vietnam. Children in rural areas are twice as likely to drown as those in urban areas. Since 2018, Vietnam has implemented a community-based drowning prevention program, focusing on teaching children to swim in high-risk provinces like Dong Thap, An Giang, and Da Nang. Tens of thousands of children have received water safety instruction.

Vietnam aims to have at least 50% of children aged 6 to 15 able to swim by 2030.

Duc Hung