Vietnam boat sinks, 20 children feared dead

Hanoi, Oct 8: A boat sank in central Vietnam, killing at least two school children, while 18 others might also have drowned, officials said today.

The boat went down early yesterday while ferrying children to their morning class in Nghe An province, a district policeman said.

''The water current was strong and we fear all of the missing children may have died,'' he said by telephone from Con Cuong district, more than 400 km south of Hanoi.

A government report today said rescuers had retrieved two bodies.

Nghe An was one of nine provinces hit by Typhoon Xangsane last Sunday. Heavy rains afterwards raised river waters to dangerous levels.

The typhoon and floods after it have killed 179 people in the Philippines and Vietnam. Of the 69 deaths in Vietnam, 11 have been in Nghe An province, the government said.

Reuters