Eight pupils drowned while swimming in the Da River in the northern city of Hoa Binh on March 21, local authorities said.
The scene of the drowning accident with eight pupils die on Da River on March 21
According to a report from local police, nine pupils of Huu Nghi Primary and Secondary School came to bath at Thinh Minh wharf in Thinh Lang Ward at around 3pm. They were then driven away to deep water area and just one of them was able to swim to shore.
Eight bodies were recovered by 4.30pm, the report said.
Police are further investigating the cause of the accident.
According to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the number of child drowning deaths in Vietnam is 10 times higher than in other developing countries.
The country has 3,260 kilometres of coast and innumerable rivers and canals, but local schools haven't been able to include swimming as part of the standard curriculum.