Returning to the site of the ferry sinking that killed 19 students

(Baonghean) - In 2006, at Chom Lom ferry terminal, Lang Khe commune (Con Cuong), a tragic boat sinking incident occurred, killing 19 students. 11 years have passed, the daily life has changed a lot, but it seems that the pain has never faded in the minds of those who remain.

Reminder of Memories

Mr. Loc Vinh Theu (born in 1985) is currently the Secretary of the Youth Union of Lang Khe commune. When you come to the commune and ask about Theu, it seems like everyone knows him. After the boat sinking incident in Chom Lom, Loc Vinh Theu was given the title "Chom Lom hero" by many people for his brave act of jumping into the river to save the lives of 5 students struggling in the middle of the river. However, Theu said, don't call him that, it reminds you of too sad memories!

Still with a look of shock on his face when recalling that fateful morning 11 years ago, Loc Vinh Theu recounted: “At that time, I was a third-year student at Da Nang College of Sports, taking a week off to visit my family. At around 6 a.m. on October 7, 2006, I was helping my neighbor repair his house when I heard a loud scream at Chom Lom ferry.

Students go to school over Chom Lom suspension bridge, Lang Khe commune (Con Cuong). Photo: Canh Nam

Rushing to the dock, I saw the boat capsized, dozens of children were scared and diving, screaming for help in the rushing water. Without thinking, I jumped in, only saved 5 children, then I didn’t have enough strength to swim and save more…”

For the past 11 years, the thing that haunts Loc Vinh Theu the most is that on that fateful morning, he was unable to save more, and the image of 19 students slowly sinking into the river right before his eyes caused Theu many sleepless nights.

Loc Vinh Theu was also a son of Chom Lom village. Among the 19 students who died that year, 6 were descendants of Loc - also Theu's cousins ​​and uncles. That tragic ferry was the familiar playground every morning and afternoon throughout Theu's childhood and that of her siblings. No one could count how many times they had boarded the ferry to go to school, to the commune's central market, to the bustling pace of life that seemed so different just a short distance away.

Chom Lom, Dong Tien, Yen Hoa are three riverside villages of Lang Khe commune. More than ten years ago, the only means of transport connecting thousands of villagers to the commune center were ferries without life jackets or protective equipment. Each trip to wait for the ferry across the river took hours. If it was the flood season and the ferry was not running, no matter how urgent the matter was, people had to stay home and wait. This isolation was the main reason for the many difficulties in the socio-economic life of the people in the three villages. Along with that, the rate of school dropouts was also quite high compared to many other areas in the district.

Change and wish

One year after the Chom Lom ferry disaster, the ferry terminal here was removed and a new bridge was built thanks to donations from philanthropists. The new bridge has successfully connected the dreams of hundreds of Thai and Dan Lai ethnic minority students to education.

Teacher Pham Quoc Hoang - Principal of Lang Khe Secondary School - the school of 19 students who died, shared that since the new bridge was built, there have been no more dropouts in Chom Lom, the rate of students passing the 10th grade entrance exam is quite high, and parents are also more interested and cooperate with the school to take care of their children's education.

11 years since that tragic event, Chom Lom village has had 11 university graduates, including 2 students studying at medical university, 3 students passing the entrance exams to military schools. This is a great joy for the poor riverside village which does not have a rich tradition of studiousness and good study.

Also from the Chom Lom incident, the government and people of Lang Khe commune in particular, and Con Cuong district in general, have paid more attention to waterway safety. Chom Lom village has a bridge, and there is also a road connecting Dong Tien through Chom Lom to Yen Hoa, partly relieving the anxiety of traffic and trade, ending the separation and isolation every flood season.

Class time of students at Lang Khe Secondary School. Photo: Phuoc Anh

However, the Yen Hoa ferry still exists in the commune - the only remaining ferry in Con Cuong district. From Yen Hoa village to the commune center is only about 5km, but every day, students going to school and adults going to work still have to rely on the ferry. The distance between the ferry and the river makes Yen Hoa people suffer many disadvantages when buying and selling goods. When consumer goods are brought to the village, the prices increase significantly, while the prices of agricultural and forestry products are always squeezed.

Even more worrying is the risk of boat accidents always lurking. The river section passing through the village is located upstream of the Ca River, with a depth of up to 20m in some places. During flood season, the water swirls violently. Local people said that fortunately, there have been no unfortunate incidents affecting lives, but boats still occasionally stall and drift in the middle of the river.

11 years have passed, but for the people of Lang Khe, all the memories are deeply engraved and unforgettable. At this time, teachers and students of Lang Khe Secondary School are busy preparing for a special Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival will be held on the fateful ferry dock of the past, dedicated to the memory of the 19 students who died when their dreams of white shirts were not yet fulfilled.

Paper boats will be released into the river, as if to convey the desire to protect the souls of the young people who have passed away here. When asked about their wishes, teachers and students of Lang Khe Secondary School said that they most hope for a bridge to erase the Yen Hoa ferry, and also hope that the State and philanthropists will have the funds to repair and upgrade Chom Lom Bridge, because after ten years of "carrying" the traffic of thousands of people, the bridge has seriously degraded. This wish is becoming more and more urgent as the rainy and stormy season is approaching.

Phuoc Anh - Canh Nam