Among the more than 100 international travelers rescued from a perilous situation were British tourists, after a ferry capsized on Laos’ Mekong River, leaving passengers in a frantic struggle for survival as the vessel partially submerged.
The ill-fated ferry, which was transporting approximately 120 passengers, came to grief when it collided with a rock while en route to the historic city of Luang Prabang on Thursday afternoon. This sudden impact caused the vessel to list dangerously before it began to fill with water, near the well-frequented Tam Ting Cave in the Pak Ou District.
In the ensuing chaos, frightened passengers clambered onto the ferry’s roof, desperately seeking safety before being rescued by a nearby barge and assisting boats. The dramatic scene was captured on video, showing travelers being pulled from the water and balancing precariously on the overturned ferry as they attempted to salvage their belongings before they were lost to the river’s depths.
In the midst of this harrowing ordeal, survivors could be heard inquiring about the fate of their possessions, a poignant reminder of the personal losses amidst the relief of rescue.
Dramatic video footage from the scene shows travellers being pulled from the water and standing on the overturned ferry as they attempted to retrieve bags before they disappeared beneath the surface.
In the background, survivors can be heard asking each other whether their belongings were gone.
Despite strong currents in the Mekong, no one was swept away, and there were no reports of serious injuries.
Traveller Kob Phommachan said the accident happened at around 3pm during the final leg of the multi-day journey.
The group had set off from Huay Xay, stopped overnight in Pak Beng, and was heading towards Luang Prabang when disaster struck.
More than a hundred passengers, including British tourists, were left scrambling for their lives when their boat capsized in Laos
Frightened passengers were recorded being pulled to safety from the Mekong River
‘There were around 120 foreign tourists on board and about 10 local villagers who boarded along the way,’ Kob said. ‘I was the only Lao backpacker on the ferry.’
Passengers included backpackers from the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, according to those on board.
Kob described the moment the ferry hit the rock, saying it suddenly tilted before partially sinking.
He said: ‘Everyone was shocked. At that moment, I even thought I was going to die. Luckily, we were all rescued safely. No one was injured, but most of our belongings were lost.’
He estimated that as much as 70 to 80 per cent of passengers’ luggage sank into the river as the boat went down.
In the video, one traveller can be heard saying: ‘I think I lost my backpack and I will never see it again, while another added: It’s gone. In the river. It’s sunk to the bottom.’
Local residents and passing boat operators rushed to help, ferrying survivors from the riverbank to Luang Prabang town.
Sisuphan Phommala, a pilot who was nearby at the time of the incident, said he immediately intervened when he saw the ferry in trouble.
‘I was passing by when I saw the boat sinking,’ he said. ‘I immediately took passengers onto our boat and helped bring them to safety.’
Before the incident, the boat was on its way to the historic city of Luang Prabang on Thursday afternoon
Authorities in Laos have launched an investigation into what caused the ferry to strike the rock and whether safety procedures were followed during the journey.
Boat capsizes on the Mekong River have resulted in the deaths and disappearances of tourists and locals.
In 2015, BBC picture editor Johanna Powell died after a boat struck rapids near Pak Beng.
Last year, a small boat with at least 40 Myanmar workers capsized on the river in the Golden Triangle region between Myanmar and Thailand. Over 20 people who were missing were feared dead.
Officials have warned that strong currents are part of the major hazards in the region.
