The incident happened late Monday night when there was a “strong current” on the river that divides Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, said Manop Senakul, police chief of northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province.
A section of the Mekong River flows through Luang Prabang province (Laos). Photo: CNA
“At least 20 people are still missing,” Senakul said, adding that 16 other Myanmar nationals had been rescued.
Myanmar media reported that the boat was carrying people from Laos to Myanmar when it ran into trouble due to engine failure. Video circulating on social media showed people on the Laos side of the river pulling others out of the fast-flowing water.
Nyi Rang, spokesman for the United Wa State Army (UWSA), told AFP that most of the missing were from the semi-autonomous Wa region in eastern Myanmar.
"We do not know the details yet because we are working with Lao authorities to investigate the incident," said Mr. Rang.
However, he did not explain why the Wa people were moving to a stretch of river near Laos’ Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which is home to many Chinese-owned casinos and hotels.
The UWSA, the best-equipped of Myanmar’s roughly dozen ethnic rebel groups, controls the semi-autonomous Wa region on Myanmar’s border with China. It is essentially cut off from the rest of Myanmar, surrounded by checkpoints and subject to tight internal administration.
In 2016, 73 people – including many teachers and students – drowned when their overloaded boat capsized on the Chindwin River in central Myanmar.
Nguyen Khanh (according to CNA, AFP)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/dam-thuyen-o-tam-giac-vang-khien-it-nhat-20-nguoi-mat-tich-post310626.html
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