Vietnam hunts four missing after sudden thunderstorm capsized tourist boat
Despite a calm sea, rescuers, from police and border guards to divers and navy personnel, were battling limited visibility hours before the expected landfall in northern Vietnam of Typhoon Wipha, which is now approaching Hong Kong.
The government said rescuers had managed to retrieve the sunken boat and revised down the death toll to 35 from an initial 38 on Saturday, while cutting an estimate of those aboard to 49 from 53, though officials fear the toll could still rise.
All the tourists aboard were Vietnamese, including several children, the official Vietnam News Agency said.
"My brother can swim, but I was told everything happened too fast," Tran Trung Tu, 39, whose sibling was 32, told Reuters at a funeral parlour on Sunday.
The accident was one of the worst in recent years in the UNESCO-protected archipelago of thousands of limestone islands about 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi, which draws tens of thousands of visitors each year.
The sudden thunderstorm turned the sky dark in a matter of minutes, felling trees in the capital of Hanoi, where officials at the Noi Bai international airport said nine flights were diverted and three departures temporarily halted.
"It is the first time I have experienced an accident with so many casualties here," said insurance agent Do Thi Thuy.
A tour boat sank in Halong Bay in 2011, killing 12, with some foreign tourists among them.
The government said the accident was caused by a "sudden" storm. Strong winds, heavy rain and lightning were reported around the time of the event, at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
"I was told life vests were available, but it was too sudden," said Do Van Hai, 42, a Halong resident. "Hopefully, the missing ones will be found soon."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Dunster Beach rescue: Mother saves two children from sea
A mother who rescued her daughter after she was dragged out to sea by strong currents has warned others things can go wrong "in a flash".On Thursday, Reverend Chloe Kingdon stopped on Dunster Beach in Somerset to allow her daughter and a friend to go for a dip, as they had done many times said the two children, aged 10 and 11, were paddling waist deep when they were suddenly swept off their Kingdon jumped in after them and worked hard to bring them back to shore, where an RNLI crew treated them for water inhalation. Rev Kingdon said the group were heading home at around 16:30 BST when the children began "nagging" her to go swimming. "They know the rules," she said. "They know not to go in very far, they know it's dangerous. "They were waist deep, jumping around and playing, and as I was watching them they suddenly disappeared out of view. "I've never known a current like it. It was really, really strange."I could just see their two heads bobbing up and down, and I'm screaming but they're too far away to hear me." A passer-by leapt into action, diving in after the children while the emergency services were from Minehead RNLI Lifeboat Station, the coastguard and the ambulance service were immediately lifeguards went to the neighbouring Blue Anchor beach by mistake, Rev Kingdon said she felt she could not wait any longer. She waded through the choppy water to reach her daughter, turning only to see her fellow rescuer clambering back to shore. "That poor man had to take the agonising decision to save himself," she told BBC Radio Somerset."The waves were too strong." 'It was a fight' Rev Kingdom managed to bring both children back to shore, where paramedics transported them to Musgrove Park Hospital for observation."Even when we think we are being responsible and respectful of the sea, in a flash, things can go wrong," she said. "It was a fight and the sea was determined to take us out further."Minehead RNLI said it sent two lifeboats to the area having heard two children were in trouble in the water."A bystander had bravely rescued the casualties, and all three required assessment for water inhalation," a statement added.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
RNLI rescue three kayakers from rocks in Cornwall
Three kayakers have been rescued by inshore lifeboat crews after their boat sank near RNLI said volunteers were called to the incident at 19:50 BST on Thursday following reports of shouts for help in the Talland Bay said the kayakers abandoned their boat and scrambled on to rocks, while one of the three made their way to a nearby beach to get a phone signal to call for group were described as cold and wet, but uninjured. Following the incident, lifeboat helm David Jackman said people should not always rely on their mobile phones in case of emergencies."This was not the first time we have been called to an incident around Downend Point where there has been no mobile phone coverage," he said."Even though the group were well prepared, carrying additional methods of calling for help such as a personal locater beacon (PLB) or VHF radio would have enabled them to call for help."
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Turkey mourns 5 volunteer firefighters killed battling wildfires
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The funerals of five rescue volunteers killed while battling a wildfire were held on Thursday in Turkey's capital. Grieving family and friends of the five members of the AKUT rescue organization were joined by leading politicians and crowds of mourning citizens at the Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque in Ankara. They died alongside five forestry workers Wednesday while trying to put out a wildfire raging through a forested area in the northwestern Eskisehir province, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said. At least 14 other rescuers and forestry workers were hospitalized, he said. The bodies of all 10 were earlier brought to a forensic facility in Ankara for identification. The deaths bring the number of fatalities in wildfires that have flared amid strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions so far in the country this year to 13. Turkey has been battling wildfires since June 26. Yumakli said that winds suddenly changed direction on Wednesday, causing the flames to shift rapidly and surround the forest workers. It wasn't clear what caused the fire. Personal details of those who died emerged, including a 28-year-old forestry worker who had returned to work from his honeymoon just two days earlier. One AKUT volunteer had spent a month rescuing the victims of a catastrophic earthquake that struck southern Turkey in February 2023. Meanwhile, farmers in the neighboring province of Bilecik helped combat a separate fire by running convoys of tractors hauling water tanks to the blaze. An older man and two forestry workers were killed in a wildfire that raged near the town of Odemis, in Izmir province, earlier this month.
