Vietnam hands over dead tourists to embassies
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Six bodies of the foreign tourists who died in Ha Long Bay have been handed over to respective embassies.
By yesterday afternoon, the six bodies have been handed over to embassies.
A total of 12 tourists including 10 foreigners, one Vietnamese-Australian and one Vietnamese citizen died when they were sleeping at 4.45 am Thursday when their tour boat sank near Ti Top Island of the world famous Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam.
But the four bodies of two Swedes, one Japanese and one UK citizen will not be handed over to their embassies but their families will receive them directly as per their requests, said Dang Huy Hau, deputy chairperson of Quang Ninh People’s Committee. Ha Long Bay is part of Quang Ninh province.
Yesterday evening, local government and respective embassies sent all the rescued tourists to Hanoi.
On the same day, the Committee announced it will donate VND20 million (US$1,000) to each family of the perished foreign tourists. As to the Vietnamese man who died, his family will be compensated in line with domestic regulations.
The Committee also gave each rescued tourists VND10 million (US$500) and pledged to finance all their medical treatment and accommodation during the time spent in Quang Ninh.
“The province will seriously, objectively punish all those responsible for the boat sinking. There is no exception”, confirmed Hau to Tuoi Tre.
The local government has also suspended the Truong Hai Company that operated the sunk boat since yesterday.
The government banned tour boats from letting their customers spend the night on board on two days: Thursday and Friday during salvage works.
Currently, there are 131 boats licensed for overnight cruises in Ha Long.
Initial investigation shows that the board plank in the engine room was cracked, letting in sea waters which capsized the boat.
The captain and crew members who have been rescued are being detained for investigation.
“This is the worst accident ever in the Vietnamese tourism industry”, said Nguyen Quy Phuong, deputy head of a department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
List of perished tourists:
1. Mccormick Stuart (male- born in 1980): UK
2. Pyle Holly Michelle (female- 1985): US
3. Taylor Samantha Kay (female- 1989): US
4. Voropinova Elena (female- 1962): Russian
5. Voropinova Anastasia (female- 1987): Russian
6. Nakahara Jumpei (male- 1990): Japanese
7. Noblecourt Laetitia Francoise Monique (female- 1983): French
8. Bankestad Viola Birgitta (female- 1991): Swede
9. Krok Anna Ellen (female- 1990): Swede
10. Gerber Baniamin Charly (male- 1985): Swiss
11. Đinh Văn Thắng (male- 1983): Vietnamese
12. Lâm Ngọc Châu (male- 1979): Vietnamese-Australian (Australian passport)
List of rescued tourists:
1. Stobbe Marie Elisabeth (female- born 1990): Danish
2. Pedersen Kasper Kammersgaard (male- born 1987): Danish
3. Scattarelli Claudio (male- 1990): German
4. Sacconi Stefand (male- 1978): Italian
5. Corda Stefand (male-1975): Italian
6. Fosmire George William (male-1988): US
7. Nguyễn Khương Duy (Male-1975): Vietnamese-Australian
8. Abrard James Dany Michel Eddy (male- 1983): French
9. Smhidli Ramona (female- 1990): Swiss
The Truong Hai 06 boat which sank has two floors, 10 sleeping rooms, is 27 m long and 6.5 m wide. The boat was built in 2008 and according to a certificate issued in April 2010, the boat is seaworthy. |
