logo
Vietnam tour boat survivor describes his escape

Vietnam tour boat survivor describes his escape

Independent20-07-2025
A Vietnamese man who survived the capsizing of a tour boat in Ha Long Bay described his escape from the overturned vessel.
At least 38 people were killed in the accident and a search is continuing for five who are still missing, according to Vietnamese state media.
The Wonder Sea embarked early Saturday afternoon for a three hour excursion in the popular bay, carrying 48 passengers and five crew. But a storm quickly covered the sky, bringing high winds and pouring rain, survivor Dang Anh Tuan told The Associated Press.
Tuan said the passengers asked for the boat to turn back to shore, but the crew reassured them they were almost at their destination and kept the boat moving forward.
'It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously, tables and chairs were jostled around and seconds later the boat overturned,' the 36-year-old fire extinguisher salesman said. ' Water gushed in and I lost all orientation.'
'I tried to breathe. But more water came in. I took a deep breath, got rid of my life vest and dove down. I saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out, escaping the boat, and then I climbed on the overturned boat to look for help,' he said.
Tuan and three others survived by clinging on to the capsized boat and its propellers, waited out another two hours until the rain stopped and rescued arrived.
Rescue workers saved 11 people, but one died in hospital due to injuries, VNExpress newspaper said.
The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was rescued after four hours trapped in the overturned hull.
The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children.
Tuan was a holiday with 11 university friends, only three of whom survived. Tuan has only minor cuts, but one of his friends suffered multiple injuries in his head and the other's tendons were cut by broken glass as he escaped the boat through a window.
The other nine members of the group were killed, including one who was traveling with his wife and 3-year-old son. The wife and child were also drowned.
A tropical storm is also moving toward the area. A national weather forecast said that Storm Wipha is expected to hit Vietnam's northern region next week, including Ha Long Bay's coast.
___
AP writer Huy Han contributed to this report.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Severe floods triggered by storm Wipha kill at least three in Vietnam's Nghe An
Severe floods triggered by storm Wipha kill at least three in Vietnam's Nghe An

Reuters

time3 days ago

  • Reuters

Severe floods triggered by storm Wipha kill at least three in Vietnam's Nghe An

HANOI, July 24 (Reuters) - Heavy rains triggered by tropical storm Wipha have caused severe flooding in the central Vietnamese province of Nghe An, killing at least three people and leaving one more missing. With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to typhoons that often cause deadly floods and mudslides. Wipha is the first major storm to hit the country this year. Wipha made landfall in Vietnam on Tuesday, after battering Hong Kong and China and worsening monsoon rains and flooding in the Philippines. One of the victims was buried by a landslide while another was washed away by a strong current, reported the Kinh Te Moi Truong newspaper, citing information from the People's Committee of Nghe An. More than 3,700 houses in the province have been inundated by flood waters, and another 459 were damaged by strong winds, according to the report. Photos on state media show homes in villages in the province submerged to the roofs. "Our rice, our clothing and our money are all gone," Dang Thi Ngoc, a local flood victim, told state broadcaster VTV. "We have nothing left except for our bare hands." Flood waters have also damaged 1,600 hectares of rice plantations and 1,290 hectares of cash crops in the province, the report said. The government's weather forecast agency said heavy rains reaching up to 250 millimetres are expected on Thursday and Friday and could last until Saturday in several parts of northern Vietnam, potentially causing more flooding.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store