Three children drown in Central Highlands coffee garden

By Hoai Thanh September 26, 2020 | 06:02 am PT

A pond intended for watering coffee plants, where at least three children fell into and drowned on September 26, 2020, in Lam Dong Province. Photo by VnExpress/Hoai Thanh.

At least three children in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong drowned after falling into a pond on Saturday.

Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, 10, Nguyen Huu Bao, Ngan's 7-year-old brother, and Pham Dinh Chien, 8, slipped into the pond, about two meters deep, while playing in a coffee garden in Dai Lao Commune of Bao Loc Town with several other children.

The other children then ran off to call for help from adults. The three were retrieved from the pond, but could not be revived.

The pond was intended for watering coffee plants, said Pham Cong Huong, deputy chairman of Dai Lao Commune people's committee. Authorities are still trying to verify whether any other children also fell into the pond, so the pond is being drained, he added.

Child drowning is not uncommon in Vietnam, with the WHO estimating 11,000 such deaths a year.