Latest news with #HalongBay
The Standard
7 hours ago
- Climate
- The Standard
Heavy rains expected as Tropical Storm Wipha approaches Vietnam's northern coast
A view of Halong Bay is seen as Tropical Storm Wipha approaches, in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, July 22, 2025. (Reuters)
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
"It took only a few seconds": survivors recount how a sudden storm drowned dozens in Vietnam
HALONG, July 21 (Reuters) - The thunderstorm came so suddenly that it overturned the boat within seconds, said two survivors of the shipwreck which killed at least 35 people in Vietnam's top tourist spot of Halong Bay and left another four missing. "It had been raining for 15 minutes, then there was a thunderstorm ... and a huge wave that all of a sudden capsized the boat," said Nguyen Hong Quan, one of 10 survivors of the accident, which happened early on Saturday afternoon. "It took only a few seconds," he told Reuters on Monday, recalling one of the worst accidents in recent years to hit the UNESCO-protected archipelago, which consists of thousands of limestone islands about 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi. Of the 49 people that Vietnam's government said were on the boat, four are still missing. Weather conditions are expected to worsen in the coming hours with the landfall in northern Vietnam of Typhoon Wipha, which skirted the southern Chinese coast over the weekend causing flash floods and landslides. Authorities were verifying on Monday whether a body found on an islet in the bay was one of the missing people from the accident, according to local media. The thunderstorm hit large parts of northern Vietnam on Saturday, turning the sky dark in a matter of minutes, with sudden downpours and strong winds felling trees in the capital of Hanoi and temporarily disrupting air travel at the Noi Bai international airport. Quan, a 40-year-old tourist, said he drifted for about three hours on a wooden chair from the sunken boat before a fishing vessel finally rescued him. Hanging on the chair together with him were another two people, only one of whom survived. "One of them was too tired and couldn't hold any longer. What a tragedy," he said. His account matches that from the second person who survived by holding onto the chair. "The waves were so strong. One of the other two was too tired and said goodbye to us," Vu Anh Tu, a 25-year-old member of the crew, told Reuters. He also recalled how the storm hit the boat so suddenly, causing it to overturn "in 15 seconds". "There was so much loss, including children," he said, confirming reports from authorities that several minors were also on the sunken vessel. "I don't know if I'll ever work on a boat again," Tu said.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Irish Times
Vietnam hunts four missing after sudden thunderstorm capsized tourist boat
Dozens of rescuers were scrambling in Vietnam on Sunday to trace four missing people after retrieving the bodies of dozens killed when a thunderstorm capsized a boat in the top tourist destination of Halong Bay , authorities said. Despite a calm sea, rescuers, from police and border guards to divers and navy personnel, were battling limited visibility hours before the expected landfall in northern Vietnam of Typhoon Wipha, which is now approaching Hong Kong. The government said rescuers had managed to retrieve the sunken boat and revised down the death toll to 35 from an initial 38 on Saturday, while cutting an estimate of those aboard to 49 from 53, though officials fear the toll could still rise. All the tourists aboard were Vietnamese, including several children, the official Vietnam News Agency said. READ MORE 'My brother can swim, but I was told everything happened too fast,' Tran Trung Tu (39) whose sibling was 32, said at a funeral parlour on Sunday. The accident was one of the worst in recent years in the Unesco-protected archipelago of thousands of limestone islands about 200km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi, which draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. The sudden thunderstorm turned the sky dark in a matter of minutes, felling trees in the capital of Hanoi, where officials at the Noi Bai international airport said nine flights were diverted and three departures temporarily halted. 'It is the first time I have experienced an accident with so many casualties here,' said insurance agent Do Thi Thuy. A tour boat sank in Halong Bay in 2011, killing 12, with some foreign tourists among them. The government said the accident was caused by a 'sudden' storm. Strong winds, heavy rain and lightning were reported around the time of the event, at 2pm on Saturday. 'I was told life vests were available, but it was too sudden,' said Do Van Hai (42) a Halong resident. 'Hopefully, the missing ones will be found soon.' – Reuters (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
ABC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Ha Long Bay capsized tour boat survivor says he 'saw a streak of light' as he describes his escape
A 36-year-old Vietnamese man who survived the capsizing of a tour boat in Ha Long Bay has described his escape from the overturned vessel, stating that he "saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out". At least 35 people were killed in the accident and a search is continuing for four who are still missing, according to Vietnamese state media. Authorities said that an earlier report of 38 dead and five missing was incorrect. The Wonder Sea embarked early Saturday afternoon for a three-hour excursion in Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination, carrying 46 passengers and three crew. But a storm quickly covered the sky, bringing high winds and pouring rain, survivor Dang Anh Tuan said. Mr 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." Mr Tuan and several other people survived by clinging on to the capsized boat and its propellers, waiting another two hours before the rain stopped and rescuers arrived. The Wonder Sea boat was later seen being towed to a shipyard for investigation, with most of its windows shattered, and damage to its roof and handrails. Police and other officials were seen working on the boat. Rescue workers recovered 11 survivors, but one later 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. Mr Tuan was on a holiday with 11 university friends, only three of whom survived. Mr 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 travelling with his wife and three-year-old son. 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
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Death toll rises in Vietnam tour boat disaster, officials say
STORY: ::The death toll in a tourist boat accident climbs to dozens, Vietnamese 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.
