Many sixth-grade students were swept away in Serepok.

After school, several students were swept away by the water while swimming in a hydroelectric reservoir. Four bodies have been recovered. Local authorities are requesting information from parents to help identify the missing.

Around 11 a.m. today, after school, about 20 students from class 6A of Ho Tung Mau School in Buon Don district, Dak Lak province, went to play at the Serepok 4 hydroelectric reservoir. Many jumped into the reservoir to swim and were swept into a deep hole. Other students saw this and rushed to rescue their friends, resulting in at least 5 being submerged.

Local residents have recovered the bodies of four students, including three boys and one girl. Another student is receiving emergency medical treatment.

The Serepok River is the largest river in Dak Lak province.

According to Mr. Huynh Quang, Vice Chairman of Buon Don district, there were 5 pairs of sandals at the scene, but it is not certain how many students were involved in the accident. Local authorities are requesting parents to provide information to determine the number of missing people.

According to information from Buon Don General Hospital, the female student who was admitted to the hospital has passed the critical stage and is now able to drink milk.

At the scene, police and military forces are still searching for the other students. The bodies of the four victims have been handed over to their families for burial.

The Serepok River is the largest river in the Dak Lak province's river system and a vital source of surface water for the province. However, the river is becoming increasingly turbulent and unpredictable due to deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture in the upstream areas as well as along its banks. Numerous hydroelectric power plants have been constructed along the river.

Nearly a year ago, a passenger bus, while crossing the Serepok Bridge on National Highway 14, crashed into the bridge's railing and plunged 18 meters into the river, killing 34 people.

According to VN Express - TH