Four people drowned after a boat carrying a total of eight occupants sank on Monday evening in Ratanakkiri’s Vern Sai district, officials said yesterday. La Bun Peng, community chief in Vern Sai district said “a mother and three children died because they could not swim,” while the overloaded boat sank, adding that the victim’s other children, husband, and boat owner swam to safety and survived. La Bun Peng said the cause of the crash remained unknown, but that it was likely the fault of overloading of goods and passengers that led to the tragedy. The victims were identified as ethnic brov from Mondulkiri who were relocating to Vern Sai district. The surviving husband has demanded US$1,000 in compensation from the boat owner, according to Vern Sai District Governor Teoun Nouthorng, adding that the owner had agreed to pay when he could.
