Tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, leaving at least 34 dead
The vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized in the UNESCO World Heritage site 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.
4 At least 27 people died after a tourist boat capsized in stormy weather in Vietnam's Halong Bay on Saturday, state media reported.
reuters
'Border guards rescued 11 people and recovered 34 bodies,' it added. Rescue efforts were set to continue into the night to find the eight still missing.
Ha Long Bay office worker Tran Trong Hung told AFP the storm started in the afternoon.
'The sky turned dark at around 2pm,' he said.
There were 'hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning', he said.
4 This aerial photo taken from a seaplane shows tourist boats sailing on the waters of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam's northeastern province of Quang Ninh on December 28, 2023.
AFP via Getty Images
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.'
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and called on the defence 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 statement on the government website said.
4 The boat, carrying 53 people, tipped over at around 2 p.m. local time, as Storm Wipha approached the country across the South China Sea.
reuters
Torrential rain also lashed northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday.
In the capital about 175 kilometres away, several trees were knocked down by strong winds.
The storm followed three days of intense heat, with the mercury hitting 37C in some areas.
4 Strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning were reported in the area.
reuters
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.
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.
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