A boy sips the “holy water” from a small cup.

Authorities have not yet been able to staunch the flow of people seeking miracle cures by drinking “holy water” from a well in a small shrine in Da Nang City.

Sunday noon, as two Hoa Vang District policemen in coordination with their counterparts in Hoa Lien Commune blocked a lane leading to the shrine, eager visitors arrived there by boat instead.

Hoa Vang District police said more policemen would be deployed to the site today to ensure security.

Vo Van Thanh, head of Truong Dinh Village, said Sunday that as the water in the well was drying out, people had to bend more to get to the water.

“Two people fell down into the well today. Luckily, they were not injured as the well is shallow.”

Nguyen Thu, chairman of Hoa Lien Commune’s People’s Committee, said, “Hoa Lien health staff have collected water samples for testing. We have assigned paramilitaries to take water to people in need. It is dangerous for them to reach the well, which is near the river.”

Seventy-year-old Mai Thi Tri from Truong Dinh Village told Tuoi Tre newspaper the “holy water” was very useful.

“I have many diseases: headache, backache, sleeplessness… But I feel much better after 10 days of drinking the holy water. And I am here today to get it again.”

Nguyen Thi Dau, 77, from Thua Thien-Hue city Province said she had to rent a room to stay at the village for a night as she could not get to the well through the crowd.

Dau, who suffers from rheumatism, says she would not have come to the shrine but bought medicine in her hometown instead if she had known that getting the holy water would be so difficult.

Reported by Nguyen Tu