On noon 21/5, Nguyen Van Duc and Nguyen Huu Tap, both 16 years old and residents of Huong Pho commune, went fishing at Khe Am, a stream located on a local farm. Minutes later, both students slipped into a deep pool and were submerged.

That evening, concerned family members, unable to find their children, began a search and reported their disappearance to local authorities. Rescue teams located the bodies of the two victims in Khe Am near 23h.

According to local authorities, the stream spans thousands of square meters, with some sections exceeding 2 meters in depth. The two victims were 10th-grade students attending Ham Nghi High School and Huong Khe High School.

A stream located on a farm in the Huong Khe area. *Photo: Hung Le*

Communes formerly part of Huong Khe district feature numerous streams within farm areas. These streams are wide, often deep, and have slippery banks. Local authorities previously installed warning signs about the risk of drowning, particularly for children during the summer.

Ha Tinh province, with an area of nearly 6,000 km2, boasts diverse terrain from mountains to coastal plains. It has many rivers, streams, and lakes distributed within residential areas, and a coastline stretching approximately 137 km. The province's population exceeds 1.6 million, with children forming a large proportion. Dozens of drowning incidents are recorded annually; in 2025 alone, there were 20 incidents resulting in 21 child deaths.

Recently, there have been several drowning incidents. From 16-18/5, nine students aged 9-14 died from drowning while swimming in the Lo River (Phu Tho) and the Banh Lai River (Dak Lak). With the upcoming summer vacation and the rainy and stormy season, the risk of accidents, injuries, and child drowning may increase.

Statistics show that nearly 2,000 Vietnamese children die from drowning each year, placing Vietnam among the highest in the Western Pacific region.

In a directive issued on 19/5 to enhance child drowning prevention, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to urgently finalize programs and organize swimming lessons for students from grades 1 to 12. The directive also called for disseminating knowledge and skills for drowning prevention, and strengthening coordination between schools and families in supervising students, especially during summer breaks. Provinces and cities are required to issue timely warnings for high-risk areas, invest in facilities for swimming lessons and water safety skills for children, and increase inspections of drowning prevention efforts in schools.

Duc Hung