logo
Nightmare at holiday spot, over 35 dead

Nightmare at holiday spot, over 35 dead

The Star20-07-2025
Trouble at sea: Tourist boat 'Wonder Sea' is returned to an upright position and towed to a shipyard for investigation after it capsized during a thunderstorm in Ha Long Bay. — AP
Rescuers search­­ed desperately yesterday for four people still missing after at least 35 were killed when a boat capsized at one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations.
The tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam's famed Ha Long Bay was lashed by a sudden storm Saturday in one of the deadliest disasters at the Unesco World Heritage site.
The vessel Wonder Sea was carrying 46 passengers and three crew when it capsized because of sudden heavy rain, according to a provincial police report seen by AFP.
The capsized vessel was later righted by the authorities before being towed away for investigation.
Previous state media reports had said that 53 people were on board and 37 people had died, but the figures were later revised by police.
Tran Trong Hung, a resident in the Ha Long Bay area, said: 'The sky turned dark.'
There were 'hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorms and lightning', he added.
Rescued passengers resting in a boat in this screencap from a video footage. — AP
Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital, Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, state media outlet VNExpress said
Thirty-five bodies had been recovered yesterday and 10 people rescued, police said, with four people still missing.
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 on board.'
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences on Saturday to relatives of those killed 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 government statement said.
Passengers on the capsized boat being rescued in this screencap from a video footage. — AP
Torrential rain also lashed northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday.
Several trees were knocked down in the capital by strong winds.
The storm followed three days of intense heat, with the mercury hitting 37°C in some areas.
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.
Tragic event: Rescue workers searching for victims after the boat capsized, in this screencap. — AP
Wipha entered the South China Sea yesterday gaining strength, and is on course to make landfall in Vietnam early this week.
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.
And this month, a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, killing at least 18 people. — AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Laos to hold ceremony to celebrate inscription of national park as world heritage site
Laos to hold ceremony to celebrate inscription of national park as world heritage site

The Star

time5 hours ago

  • The Star

Laos to hold ceremony to celebrate inscription of national park as world heritage site

Hin Nam No National Park in Khammouane Province, Laos, becomes the fourth Unesco World Heritage Site of the country. VIENTIANE: (Bernama-Xinhua) Authorities in central Laos' Khammuan province plan to hold a grand ceremony at the end of 2025 to celebrate the inscription of Hin Nam No National Protected Area as a Unesco World Heritage Site, the country's fourth World Heritage site, Xinhua reported. According to the Vientiane Mai newspaper on Tuesday (July 29), authorities held a meeting on Monday to discuss plans for a grand ceremony celebrating the inscription of the national park. The site holds special significance as it forms part of a transboundary extension of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a World Heritage Site in Vietnam, the first transboundary natural World Heritage Site shared between Laos and Vietnam. Authorities also plan to intensify efforts to raise public awareness about the importance and benefits of natural World Heritage sites and encourage local communities to take part in their protection and management. They will work with relevant sectors to develop sustainable strategies for conservation and development, while improving local livelihoods. Additionally, the province aims to transform Hin Nam No National Park into a sustainable, world-class tourist destination. Hin Nam No National Protected Area is a natural marvel that spans an area of 94,121 hectares in southeastern Laos. This biodiverse and stunningly beautiful protected zone shelters some spectacular and mysterious biodiversity, and harbours ecosystems that include pristine forests, majestic waterfalls, and intricate cave systems. The park is home to an incredible range of species, including rare and exotic birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants, and is home to several ethnic minority groups. - Bernama-Xinhua

Greece wildfires under control as firefighters battle remaining fronts
Greece wildfires under control as firefighters battle remaining fronts

The Sun

time2 days ago

  • The Sun

Greece wildfires under control as firefighters battle remaining fronts

ATHENS: Firefighters in Greece have made progress in containing wildfires that have devastated homes and forced evacuations across the country. Over the past 24 hours, 55 new fires broke out, but 50 were quickly brought under control. Authorities remain on high alert, with five major fire fronts still active in the Peloponnese, Evia, Kythera, and Crete. Fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis warned of continued high fire risk but noted improving conditions. On Kythera, a popular tourist island, half the land has been scorched. Deputy mayor Giorgos Komninos reported extensive damage to homes, beehives, and olive groves. Despite ongoing fires, the situation is stabilising with support from helicopters and aircraft. The Egnatia highway near Kozani was temporarily closed due to flames fanned by strong winds, diverting traffic to an older route. Meanwhile, flare-ups on Evia have disrupted power and water supplies, while fires on Crete are now mostly contained. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assured affected residents of state support, calling recent firefighting efforts 'titanic.' Greece has endured extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40°C, though forecasts predict relief from Monday. International aid, including Italian aircraft and Czech firefighting units, is assisting local efforts. The country faces increasing wildfire risks due to climate change, following earlier blazes on Chios and Crete. - AFP

Three dead, several injured after train derails in Germany
Three dead, several injured after train derails in Germany

New Straits Times

time2 days ago

  • New Straits Times

Three dead, several injured after train derails in Germany

FRANKFURT, Germany: Three people were killed and several others injured when a regional passenger train derailed in a wooded area in southwestern Germany on Sunday, police said. About 100 passengers were aboard the train, when the accident occurred at around 6:10 pm (1610 GMT) near the town of Riedlingen in Baden-Wuerttemberg state. Contacted by AFP, police initially said four people had been killed before correcting their statement to three victims. Authorities declined to elaborate on the number of injured or how seriously hurt they were, though tabloid Bild cited emergency workers saying there were 50 injured. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn confirmed several deaths and numerous injured. Two train carriages had derailed "for reasons yet unknown", it added. Authorities were currently investigating the circumstances of the accident, the operator said, and traffic had been suspended over a 40-kilometre (25-mile) stretch of the route. German media reported that a landslide might have caused the accident as severe storms swept through the region, according to weather services. The passenger train was travelling from the German town of Sigmaringen to the city of Ulm when it derailed in a forested area. In a post on social media, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his condolences to the families of those killed. He added that he was in close contact with both the interior and transport ministers, and had asked them to "provide the emergency services with all the support they need." Footage from the scene of the accident showed yellow-and-grey-coloured train carriages lying on their sides, as firefighters and emergency services tried to get to the passengers. According to local TV station SWR, helicopters arrived shortly after the accident to transport the injured to hospitals in the area, and emergency doctors from nearby hospitals were alerted. German transport is regularly criticised by passengers for its outdated infrastructure, with travellers facing frequent train delays, and various technical problems. The government has pledged to invest several hundred billion euros over the next few years, in particular to modernise infrastructure. In June 2022, a train derailed near a Bavarian Alpine resort in southern Germany, killing four people and injuring dozens. Germany's deadliest rail accident happened in 1998 when a high-speed train operated by state-owned Deutsche Bahn derailed in Eschede in Lower Saxony, killing 101 people. — AFP

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