VIENTIANE, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Two children have been killed, 52 people rescued and three children are missing after they fell into a river in northern Laos' Luang Prabang province on Friday when a slatted wooden bridge they were walking on tipped sideways, local media reported on Saturday.
Fifty-seven schoolchildren, a teacher, and a motorcyclist fell off the bridge into the Xeng River in Vangbay village, some 250 km north of Lao capital Vientiane by aerial distance, after one of the main supporting ropes snapped.
Director of Viengkham Secondary School Mai Toumvongsa said to Lao News Agency (KPL) on Friday that "The two victims were year five upper secondary students at Viengkham Secondary School, a male and a female. Later that day, the school held a funeral ceremony for the two victims at Vangbai village."
Lao state-run online newspaper Vientiane Times on Saturday quoted Deputy Governor of Viengkham district, Saykham Chanthoumma, as saying on Friday that district authorities were riding around on boats trying to locate the three missing children.
"Viengkham district will be responsible for any compensation payments and the cost of treatment at the provincial hospital. The district will ask high level officials about other ways in which we can help those affected," he said.
The Xeng bridge was installed in 2013 but was not opened to the public at that time because some aspects of construction were found to be substandard.
After these problems were addressed, in 2015 the bridge was opened to people living along both sides of the river in Vangbay village, according to the report.
Saykham said the ropes holding the wooden slats in position were torn and the bridge's cables had not been checked for over a year. After some of the ropes broke, the bridge was unsupported and tipped sideways.
He said old or broken pieces of wood had been exchanged for new pieces, but the cables had not been replaced.
However, the main cause of the collapse is under investigation, KPL reported on Friday.
A Luang Prabang police officer, Bounlay Xayavong, who helped many of the children to get to hospital, told Vientiane Times he was travelling to work in Viengkham district on the morning of the accident. When he and his friends arrived at the bridge, they saw a lot of people swimming in the river underneath. People living nearby the bridge immediately drove their boats to the scene to rescue the children.
Bounlay said he took many of them in his car to the provincial hospital in Luang Prabang town center. Some of the children had broken legs or arms after falling into the water.
There are over 300 students at Viengkham Secondary School, located across the river from the village. Viengkham district is listed as one of the poor districts of Luang Prabang Province.
