Nine pupils have drowned while swimming in the Tra Khuc River in the central province of Quang Ngai, local authorities said.

 People gathered at the Tra Khuc river where nine pupils drowned on April 15

The bodies of the victims who are all studying at Nghia Ha Secondary School, were recovered by rescue forces at 4pm today, April 15.

Local heard the calls for help from the river early this afternoon, but by the time they reached the river, the pupils were already dead.

Initial investigations showed that the students, all 12 years old, went swimming in the river before their class which would start at 3pm.

Quang Ngai Province Party Secretary, Le Viet Chu, arrived at the site to direct the rescue work.

Official figures show that more than 6,000 children drown every year in Vietnam, and the number is increasing annually.

According to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the number of child drowning deaths in Vietnam is 10 times higher than in other developing countries.

The country has 3,260 kilometres of coast and innumerable rivers and canals, but the government has been long criticised for failing to enable schools to include swimming as part of the standard curriculum.