Tourist boat involved in Mekong river collision torn open

Three days after the accident in the Tien River, a tributary of the Mekong, which resulted in the death of a tour guide and injuries to two foreign tourists, the vessel has been towed ashore close to the accident scene in An Giang Province for investigation.

On April 19 Phan Thanh Duoc, 42, was piloting the boat with 42 passengers from Cambodia’s Phnom Penh to Chau Doc City in An Giang.

The collision occurred a kilometer from the Cambodian border when the ferry carrying around 30 passengers and piloted by Vo Van Nhan, 49, crashed into the boat’s broadside.

Tour guide Ab Dol Ro Zak, 36, had his right arm severed and both legs broken in the impact.

Two tourists, from France and Germany and aged 57 and 67, sustained leg injuries.

All three were rushed to HCMC for treatment, but Ro Zak passed away on Sunday.

Duoc has been temporarily detained and faces charges of "violating regulations on driving waterway vehicles."

Several rows of seats inside the boat collapsed under the impact. The injured people were sitting right at the point of contact.

The tourist boat is designed like a high-speed boat with hatches at the front and back, 11 rows of seats and a toilet.

Its inspection license is valid until September.

The gash in the hull caused by the collision is more than 10 m long, becoming larger towards the stern and half a meter at its widest and exposing the seats inside.

From the outside looking in, one can see the destroyed seats, their legs coming off the floor, and this was where the tour guide was sitting.

The glass windows on the boat were shattered.

Rows of seats displaced near the boat's rear hatch. After the accident, passengers were evacuated through this hatch as water began to flood in.

Two hundred meters away the iron ferry has been moored for investigation.

When it collided with the boat, many motorcycles on deck toppled and passengers were knocked down by the impact.

After the collision, the ferry captain tried to prevent the boat from sinking and guided it ashore.

Pieces of glass from the boat scattered on the ferry's bow.

The section of the Tien River where the accident occurred has many boats carrying sand.

Hoang Thi Minh Dang, which manages tours on the Hang Chau Tourist Express Boat vessel, said the steersman possessed all the necessary certificates and requirements for the job, and had over 10 years of experience.