Chairman of Phu Hoa District People's Committee Nguyen Ba Khai said the accident occurred when six male construction workers from a nearby bridge project operated a motorboat on the Ba River at 7 pm on May 15 to get home after work.
"The boat suddenly capsized and three of them managed to swim to shore," the official said. "Rescue forces found one person, 34-year-old Nguyen Cuu Dong, a but he died shortly after from drowning while being rushed to hospital. Meanwhile, rescue forces are continuing to search for the two others, 31-year-old Nguyen Manh Nguyen and 46-year-old Le Duc Cuong.
The Ba River, the largest river in the central highlands and southern coastal region, runs from Kon Tum Province through Gia Lai and Phu Yen before reaching the sea.
