HANOI: Eight Vietnamese schoolgirls have drowned while swimming in a lake on the outskirts of the capital Hanoi, state-run media said Thursday.
The deaths, which police said were accidental, happened Wednesday afternoon when the victims, all high school students aged 13 and 14, went for a dip in the Tuy Lai lake in Hanoi's My Duc district, the Tuoi Tre newspaper said.
Two other schoolgirls in the party were rescued by local residents, the report said.
Drowning is one of the main causes of child death in Vietnam, with dozens of children drowning during the hot summer months, especially in rural areas.
Some 3,500 children die by drowning each year, according to Tuoi Tre figures.
Efforts to introduce nationwide swimming lessons in schools have been hampered by a lack of facilities and funding.
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