Canoeists sucked into dam's water tunnels

SLOVENIA:EIGHT SLOVENIANS have died and five more are missing after their canoes were crushed and they were sucked into the underwater tunnels of a hydro-electric dam.

In the country's worst-ever river accident, the canoes were overturned and smashed to pieces in fast-flowing water on a section of the Sava river that will be closed to traffic when the dam is fully built.

The trip - advertised as "The Last Descent" - was organised by local officials, some of whom died.

Only one person is believed to have survived the accident, which was witnessed by horrified passengers on two other canoes that stopped before reaching the construction area where the dam is being completed.

Slovenian journalist Goran Rovan, who was watching from his canoe, said the other canoes capsized and broke up in white-water generated by the dam gates. Their occupants fell into the river and were sucked into the underwater channels leading to the generator turbines.

National television showed footage of several people laughing and joking as their long green canoe entered the gates of the unfinished dam. As they disappeared from view, screams were heard, then silence.

The accident happened on Thursday afternoon, but fierce currents prevented divers entering the river until the gates of the dam were lowered several hours later.

The search continued under floodlights through the night, but only seven bodies were found. Two people swam ashore, one of whom died later in hospital, leaving a woman as the sole survivor.

President Danilo Turk and prime minister Janez Jansa visited the scene overnight on Thursday, and expressed condolences to relatives of the victims. Other officials said the canoeists, few of whom were wearing life vests, had ignored clear warnings not to go near the dam.