At least 28 dead as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay
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At least 28 people have died and dozens are missing after a tourist boat carrying more than 50 capsized Saturday in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, state media said.
The vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized because of sudden heavy rain as it toured the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dan Tri news site said.
"On the afternoon of July 19, the Wonder Sea tourist boat carrying 53 people capsized. Vietnamese Border Guards and navy rescued 11 people and recovered 28 bodies," VNExpress news site reported.
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Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, VNExpress said.
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 being pounded by strong wind and waves brought by deadly Typhoon Yagi.
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Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Death toll climbs to 38 after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam
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 Listen to article 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. Read: 34 dead in Vietnam tourist boat capsize Rescuers managed to retrieve the sunken boat, the government said. The accident took place around 2 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) 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.
Business Recorder
20-07-2025
- Business Recorder
Death toll from Vietnam tourist boat accident climbs to 38
HALONG BAY: 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 (0700 GMT) 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. Vietnam Q2 GDP growth quickens on strong exports, US trade deal brightens outlook 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.
Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Express Tribune
34 dead in Vietnam tourist boat capsize
This handout photograph taken on July 19, 2025 and released by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) shows relief personnel gathered around a capsized tourist boat (L) during a search and rescue operation in the Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh province. Photo: AFP A tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam's Ha Long Bay capsized in a storm on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 34 people dead, according to state media reports, as rescuers scrambled to locate the missing. 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. "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 2 pm (0700 GMT)," he said. There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", he said. 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 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 statement on the government website said. Torrential rain also lashed northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday. In the capital about 175 kilometres (110 miles) away, several trees were knocked down by strong winds.
