1st LD: 10 students feared drowned in Laos' ferry accident

Ten elementary school children went missing and are feared drowned in Laos after the boat they were traveling in capsized in a major Mekong tributary Tuesday morning local time, according to local police.

It is believed the 10 were among 35 fifth-grade students, four teachers and a single crew member on board when their ferry capsized while attempting to cross the Nam Ngum River in Pak-Ngum District some 60 kilometers from the center of the country's capital Vientiane.

It is reported that no passengers were wearing lifejackets and the boat in question was rated for a maximum capacity of 15 persons.

The group were reportedly on their way to a venue across river to undertake examinations.

Early reports of the suspected drowning came through the popular domestic social media service "Tholakhong" which named the missing.

According to the report, it was the group's failure to turn up for examinations that sparked the search.

The safety of Laos' river transport hit international headlines last month with the drowning death of Briton Johanna Powell.

Powell, an employee of BBC Wales, was killed when the ferry carrying herself and other tourists broke apart on rapids after departing the river port town of Pakbeng bound for the popular tourist site and UNESCO World Heritage Listed town of Luang Prabang on April 11. Endi