PHNOM PENH, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people are confirmed dead and three others still missing from a motorized boat accident on the Mekong River in southern Cambodia's Kandal province, a senior police official said on Friday.
The accident occurred Thursday evening at around 7:00 p.m. local time when the boat, with 15 people aboard, including a boat operator and 14 students, capsized about 50 meters off the shore in Leuk Daek district, said Kandal provincial police chief Chhoeun Sochet.
"As of Friday morning, eight bodies had been recovered, while four survivors, including the boat operator, were rescued," he told reporters. "Rescue efforts for the three missing are still underway."
The accident happened when the boat ferried those students from school to their homes on an island village, Sochet said, adding that high speed, overload, and negligent driving were blamed for the accident.
According to the Kandal provincial police's report, the ill-fated students aged between 12 and 14 years old. ■
