Vietnamese court sentences ferry captain in accident that killed 11

A court in northern Vietnam has sentenced the captain of an overloaded river ferry that sank and killed 11 passengers dead to seven years in prison, local newspapers reported Saturday. Luong Van Ly, owner of the boat that sank in northern Phu Tho province, was sentenced Friday and ordered to pay a total of 130 million dong (about 8,000 dollars) in compensation to the victims' families, Vietnam News Agency reported. The ferry was travelling down the Da River picking up passengers - mostly traders taking water buffaloes, pigs and chicken to a nearby market - when the boat hit a rough current. Two buffaloes panicked and rushed to one side of the 25-metre motorboat, capsizing it. Some passengers were trapped below deck as the boat sank. In total 11 passengers, including Ly's wife, died in the incident. Ly, who was driving the boat admitted in court that he had no license to operate a ferry and that the boat was overloaded. River ferries are a common means of transportation in many parts of rural Vietnam. dpa kj emc