Vietnam detains 7 after ship sinks
Source: Agencies |
February 20, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Vietnamese authorities have detained the captain, crew and owner of a Ha Long Bay tour boat, police said yesterday, two days after 12 passengers drowned when their vessel sank as they were sleeping.
The director of Truong Hai Co, which owns the boat that went down in the picturesque bay, the vessel's captain and five crew members were detained for questioning, said Quang Ninh province police spokesman Le Thanh Binh.
The port authority allowed overnight cruises to resume operations after docking all boats following the sinking before dawn on Thursday that claimed the lives of 11 foreign vacationers and their Vietnamese tour guide.
It was Vietnam's deadliest tour boat accident since the country opened up to foreign visitors 25 years ago.
Vu Van Thin, chief administrator of Quang Ninh, said the government would offer US$1,000 to each of the foreign victims' families and US$500 apiece to the nine survivors.
The tour boat company could not be reached for comment, and it's unclear whether additional compensation will be provided from an insurance company.
The bodies of the foreign victims - from the US, Britain, Australia, Japan, Russia, France, Sweden and Switzerland - remain at hospitals in Ha Long Bay as families work to get them repatriated.
"Samantha was every parent's dream," said Edward Taylor, father of American victim Samantha Kay Taylor, 22. "She was such a sweet child. She had everything going for her. Everyone says this, but with my Samantha, this was so true: She was God's gift."
The boat, Dream Voyage, was hoisted partially out of the water on Friday and dragged to a nearby island. Investigators will then work to determine why it suddenly sank.
The sea and weather were calm at the time of the incident.
(AP)
The director of Truong Hai Co, which owns the boat that went down in the picturesque bay, the vessel's captain and five crew members were detained for questioning, said Quang Ninh province police spokesman Le Thanh Binh.
The port authority allowed overnight cruises to resume operations after docking all boats following the sinking before dawn on Thursday that claimed the lives of 11 foreign vacationers and their Vietnamese tour guide.
It was Vietnam's deadliest tour boat accident since the country opened up to foreign visitors 25 years ago.
Vu Van Thin, chief administrator of Quang Ninh, said the government would offer US$1,000 to each of the foreign victims' families and US$500 apiece to the nine survivors.
The tour boat company could not be reached for comment, and it's unclear whether additional compensation will be provided from an insurance company.
The bodies of the foreign victims - from the US, Britain, Australia, Japan, Russia, France, Sweden and Switzerland - remain at hospitals in Ha Long Bay as families work to get them repatriated.
"Samantha was every parent's dream," said Edward Taylor, father of American victim Samantha Kay Taylor, 22. "She was such a sweet child. She had everything going for her. Everyone says this, but with my Samantha, this was so true: She was God's gift."
The boat, Dream Voyage, was hoisted partially out of the water on Friday and dragged to a nearby island. Investigators will then work to determine why it suddenly sank.
The sea and weather were calm at the time of the incident.
(AP)
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
