Death toll from Vietnam tourist boat accident climbs to 38
The death toll from a tourist boat accident in Vietnam's Halong Bay climbed to at least 38 with several people still missing, the government said, as rescuers continued to search for survivors while bracing for the approach of Typhoon Wipha.
The vessel capsized on Saturday afternoon carrying 48 tourists and five crew members in one of the worst boating accidents in recent years in the popular tourist area.
"At least 38 of those on board have been confirmed dead and 10 rescued," the government said in a statement.
The official Vietnam News Agency reported that all the tourists were Vietnamese, including several children.
Dozens of rescuers, including border guards, navy personnel, police and professional divers, have been deployed. Although the sea had calmed, weather conditions limited visibility, making rescue operations difficult.
Rescuers managed to retrieve the sunken boat, the government said.
The accident took place around 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, soon after Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea.
Authorities reported strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning in the area at the time of the incident, adding that these conditions were not yet influenced by the approaching typhoon but were due to wind patterns over the northern region.
Halong Bay, about 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Boat tours are particularly popular.
In 2011, the sinking of a tour boat in Halong Bay killed 12 people, including foreign tourists.
Typhoon Wipha, the third to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to make landfall along Vietnam's northern coast early next week.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Japan Today
Death toll from Vietnam tourist boat accident climbs to 38
A tourist boat (in white) that capsized in an accident which killed dozens and left several people still missing, is towed back to the port in Halong Bay, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen The death toll from a tourist boat accident in Vietnam's Halong Bay climbed to at least 38 with several people still missing, the government said, as rescuers continued to search for survivors while bracing for the approach of Typhoon Wipha. The vessel capsized on Saturday afternoon carrying 48 tourists and five crew members in one of the worst boating accidents in recent years in the popular tourist area. "At least 38 of those on board have been confirmed dead and 10 rescued," the government said in a statement. The official Vietnam News Agency reported that all the tourists were Vietnamese, including several children. Dozens of rescuers, including border guards, navy personnel, police and professional divers, have been deployed. Although the sea had calmed, weather conditions limited visibility, making rescue operations difficult. Rescuers managed to retrieve the sunken boat, the government said. The accident took place around 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, soon after Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea. Authorities reported strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning in the area at the time of the incident, adding that these conditions were not yet influenced by the approaching typhoon but were due to wind patterns over the northern region. Halong Bay, about 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Boat tours are particularly popular. In 2011, the sinking of a tour boat in Halong Bay killed 12 people, including foreign tourists. Typhoon Wipha, the third to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to make landfall along Vietnam's northern coast early next week. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Nikkei Asia
3 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
Death toll from Vietnam's Halong bay tourist boat accident climbs to 38
A tourist boat (in white) that capsized in an accident which killed dozens and left several people still missing, is towed back to the port in Halong Bay, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, July 20, 2025. © Reuters HALONG BAY, Vietnam (Reuters) -- The death toll from a tourist boat accident in Vietnam's Halong Bay climbed to at least 38 with several people still missing, the government said, as rescuers continued to search for survivors while bracing for the approach of Typhoon Wipha. The vessel capsized on Saturday afternoon carrying 48 tourists and five crew members in one of the worst boating accidents in recent years in the popular tourist area.
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Japan Today
Dozens dead in Vietnam after tourist ferry sinks
Rescuers are searching for five people still missing on Sunday after a boat capsized in Vietnam By Ran Thi Minh Ha Rescuers were desperately searching for five people still missing on Sunday after 37 were killed when a boat capsized in one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations. The tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam's famed Ha Long Bay was lashed by a storm on Saturday in one of the UNESCO World Heritage site's deadliest disasters. The "Wonder Sea" vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized because of sudden heavy rain, the VNExpress news site said. Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, it said. Border guards had rescued 11 people and recovered 34 bodies by Saturday evening, it added. Overnight three crew members' bodies were found in the cabin and rescue efforts continued into Sunday morning to find the five people still missing. One of the rescued, a 10-year-old boy, told state media outlet VietnamNet: "I took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dived then swam up, I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat with soldiers on". Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences on Saturday to the families of the deceased and called on the defense and public security ministries to conduct urgent search and rescue. Authorities would "investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations", a government statement said. Tran Trong Hung, a resident in the Ha Long Bay area, told AFP: "The sky turned dark at around 2:00 pm." There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", he said. Torrential rain also lashed northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday. Several trees were knocked down in the capital by strong winds. The storm followed three days of intense heat, with the mercury hitting 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas. Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, was quoted in VNExpress as saying that the thunderstorms in northern Vietnam were not caused by the influence of Tropical Storm Wipha in the South China Sea. Wipha entered the South China Sea on Sunday gaining strength, and is on course to make landfall in Vietnam early next week. Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, with millions of people visiting its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands each year. Last year, 30 vessels sank at boat lock areas in coastal Quang Ninh province along Ha Long Bay after Typhoon Yagi brought strong wind and waves. And this month, a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, killing at least 18 people. © 2025 AFP
