The incident happened by the Cau River in Dong Xuyen Village, Dong Tien Ward, according to local authorities. Deputy Chairman of Dong Tien's People's Committee Nguyen Duc Toan told VnExpress that the man was the owner of fish cages in the river.
The man, 37, had asked four children, aged from 11 to 16, to help him carry the iron gangway across to one of his cages. “Unfortunately the gangway hit an electrical cable and all five died from a massive electric shock,” Toan said.
Two of the children were related, he added.
Police in Bac Ninh are treating the fatal incident as a particularly serious case. They have cordoned off the scene, conducted autopsies and handed the bodies over to the families for burial. The funerals were held by the victims’ relatives on the same night.
A village resident said many people have been swimming in the river during the recent heat wave. “Now the whole village is focusing on arranging a funeral for them. Everyone is stunned and mourning over their coffins.”