A boy and four girls drowned on Thursday afternoon after going to swim in a reservoir in Vietnam.

Authorities in Yen Thanh District said a group of 10 eighth grade students from a local school went on a picnic on their own without their teachers.

Seven students jumped into the reservoir to swim but were swept away. Local residents heard screams for help and rushed to their rescue, but could only save two.

The bodies of the five remaining students were recovered late afternoon. Local authorities are investigating the drowning deaths.

So far this year, at least 30 students have drowned in the central province.

Child drowning deaths are not uncommon in Vietnam. More than 11,000 children drown each year, according to a recent survey by the World Health Organization.

The rate of child drowning in Vietnam is higher than other Southeast Asian nations and 10 times higher than that of developed countries, the survey said.

Four sixth grade school girls drowned in the northern Lao Cai Province last Saturday after going swimming in a local stream.

The central province of Quang Binh has recorded four separate drowning accidents that killed nine students in just a week this month.

Last month, eight primary and secondary school boys in Hoa Binh, northern Vietnam, also drowned in a local river.

Vietnamese schools don’t teach students how to swim mainly due to lack of facilities. The government has tried to introduce swimming classes in schools nationwide but the program has only become popular in urban areas.

•Adapted from a report by Vietnam’s VnExpress newspaper.

•People stand along a reservoir in Vietnam where five eighth-grade students drowned on May 30, 2019. Photo: VnExpress/H.V.

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