Death toll rises in Vietnam tour boat disaster, officials say
:: July 20, 2025
::Halong Bay, Vietnam
Video from Vietnam Television (VTV) showed search and rescue efforts continuing overnight, with rescuers flipping the capsized boat upright and calling out for survivors.
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. The official Vietnam News Agency reported that several children were among the tourists, who were all Vietnamese.
The government said in a statement, at least 10 people had been rescued and that the sunken boat had been retrieved.
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.
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