British tourists were among more than a hundred foreign travellers rescued after a ferry capsized on the Mekong River in Laos, forcing passengers to scramble for their lives as the vessel partially sank.
The boat was carrying around 120 passengers when it struck a rock on its way to the historic city of Luang Prabang on Thursday afternoon.
The impact caused the ferry to tilt sharply before taking on water near Tam Ting Cave in Pak Ou District, a popular stretch of the river for tourists.
Terrified passengers climbed onto the roof of the stricken vessel before being rescued by a passing barge and nearby boats.
Dramatic video footage from the scene shows travellers being pulled from the water and standing on the overturned ferry as they attempted to retrieve bags before they disappeared beneath the surface.
In the background, survivors can be heard asking each other whether their belongings were gone.
Despite strong currents in the Mekong, no one was swept away, and there were no reports of serious injuries.
Traveller Kob Phommachan said the accident happened at around 3pm during the final leg of the multi-day journey.
The group had set off from Huay Xay, stopped overnight in Pak Beng, and was heading towards Luang Prabang when disaster struck.
More than a hundred passengers, including British tourists, were left scrambling for their lives when their boat capsized in Laos
Frightened passengers were recorded being pulled to safety from the Mekong River
‘There were around 120 foreign tourists on board and about 10 local villagers who boarded along the way,’ Kob said. ‘I was the only Lao backpacker on the ferry.’
Passengers included backpackers from the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, according to those on board.
Kob described the moment the ferry hit the rock, saying it suddenly tilted before partially sinking.
He said: ‘Everyone was shocked. At that moment, I even thought I was going to die. Luckily, we were all rescued safely. No one was injured, but most of our belongings were lost.’
He estimated that as much as 70 to 80 per cent of passengers’ luggage sank into the river as the boat went down.
In the video, one traveller can be heard saying: ‘I think I lost my backpack and I will never see it again, while another added: It’s gone. In the river. It’s sunk to the bottom.’
Local residents and passing boat operators rushed to help, ferrying survivors from the riverbank to Luang Prabang town.
Sisuphan Phommala, a pilot who was nearby at the time of the incident, said he immediately intervened when he saw the ferry in trouble.
‘I was passing by when I saw the boat sinking,’ he said. ‘I immediately took passengers onto our boat and helped bring them to safety.’
Before the incident, the boat was on its way to the historic city of Luang Prabang on Thursday afternoon
Authorities in Laos have launched an investigation into what caused the ferry to strike the rock and whether safety procedures were followed during the journey.
Boat capsizes on the Mekong River have resulted in the deaths and disappearances of tourists and locals.
In 2015, BBC picture editor Johanna Powell died after a boat struck rapids near Pak Beng.
Last year, a small boat with at least 40 Myanmar workers capsized on the river in the Golden Triangle region between Myanmar and Thailand. Over 20 people who were missing were feared dead.
Officials have warned that strong currents are part of the major hazards in the region.
