Latest news with #VietnamNet
Saudi Gazette
5 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Boy survives Vietnam boat sinking that killed dozens by sheltering in air pocket
HANOI — A boy survived the sinking of a tourist boat in Vietnam which killed dozens of people by sheltering in an air pocket of the overturned vessel, it has emerged. The 10-year-old had been traveling with his family in Vietnam's famed Ha Long Bay when the vessel they were sailing on became caught in a sudden storm. Trapped in the boat as it capsized, the boy found refuge in an underwater air pocket, where he stayed and waited for help. He was eventually found by rescue teams relatively unharmed, although he was suffering from mental distress. He was warmed up and transferred to a nearby hospital, local outlet VietnamNet reported. 'Everything happened so fast,' the boy said. 'I tried to get out, and then the soldiers rescued me.' Search and rescue efforts are continuing for missing passengers and crew after sightseeing ship the Wonder Sea capsized in a squall on Saturday but have been hampered by bad weather. At least 36 people are confirmed dead from the sinking, state media reported on Monday. Vietnam News Agency said there were 53 passengers and crew on board and 10 people had been rescued. Three people remain Monday, rescue teams recovered the body of a six-year-old boy who had been traveling with his family, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency. The child's body was found close to a nearby island, VNA reported, citing local survivor, a 36-year-old Vietnamese man, described escaping the overturned boat by dumping his life jacket and swimming through an underwater extinguisher salesman Dang Anh Tuan described the moment the vessel suddenly capsized during bad weather, leaving little time for those on board to react.'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,' Tuan told the Associated said that the boat quickly filled with water and he 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 along with several others who had been on board, clung onto the overturned boat and waited for another two hours in pouring rain until emergency crews been holidaying in Vietnam's popular tourist bay with 11 university friends. Only three of their group Express reported that the Wonder Sea was caught in a storm around 1.30 p.m. local time (2.30 a.m. ET), which caused it to of the passengers were from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and traveling as families, according to VN Express, which reported the eldest passenger as 53 years old and the youngest as just 3. Over 20 children were on board, VNExpress capsize reportedly happened near the Dau Go Cave – one of the largest in the Bay is a popular tourist hotspot and a UNESCO world heritage site comprising about 1,600 limestone islands and islets. — CNN
The Hill
a day ago
- The Hill
At least 35 dead after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam
A tourist boat in Vietnam capsized during a sudden thunderstorm on Saturday, leaving 35 people dead, while four remain missing, according to state media. Ten people survived, including one 10-year-old boy who hid in an air pocket after the ship turned over, local media said. 'Everything happened so fast,' the boy, who was traveling with his parents, told VietnamNet. 'I tried to get out, and then the soldiers rescued me.' State media reported that all 49 people aboard the tourist boat were Vietnamese, including 46 passengers and three crew members. The ship, built in 2015, was on a sightseeing tour of Sung Sot Cave and Titop Island, two popular destinations in Ha Long Bay, known for their scenic views. 'It's the worst accident I've known in Ha Long Bay in the last 25 years,' Bui Cong Hoan, deputy chairman of Ha Long Tourist Boat Association, told The New York Times in a phone interview. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the victims' families, and he ordered the ministries of National Defense and Public Security, as well as civil defense workers, to support the search and rescue operations.
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Boy survives Ha Long Bay boat tragedy by sheltering in air pocket
Among the survivors is a 10-year-old boy who miraculously sheltered in an air pocket, waiting for rescue. Vietnamese authorities continue search and recovery operations in Ha Long Bay after the capsizing of a tourist boat killed at least 37 people and left others missing. Among the survivors is a 10-year-old boy who managed to stay alive by sheltering in an air pocket within the overturned vessel. The boy, whose name has not been released, was travelling with family on the 'Wonder Sea', a sightseeing boat popular among domestic tourists. As reported by VietnamNet, the vessel was caught in a violent squall that caused it to flip near the famous Dau Go Cave. Trapped underwater, the child found a small air pocket where he waited for rescue. 'Everything happened so fast,' the boy later said. 'I tried to get out, and then the soldiers rescued me.' Rescue teams discovered the boy alive and conscious but in a state of shock. He was immediately warmed, treated for mental distress, and transported to a nearby hospital. Efforts to locate the remaining missing passengers and crew have been hampered by poor weather conditions. The 'Wonder Sea' was carrying 53 people at the time of the incident, many of whom were families from Hanoi. The boat was caught in the storm around 1:30pm local time. The vessel was towed to port the following day, visibly damaged. Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its stunning limestone islands, is one of Vietnam's most visited tourist attractions. This tragedy has sparked renewed scrutiny of safety measures for cruise operators, especially during unpredictable seasonal weather. Authorities have not yet provided further updates on potential causes or accountability but have vowed a full investigation. IOL News
DW
a day ago
- DW
Vietnam: Tourist boat capsizes, killing at least 37 – DW – 07/19/2025
A sudden storm in northern Vietnam's famous Ha Long Bay tipped the vessel. Children were among the victims. A tourist boat in Vietnam capsized on Saturday, leaving at least 37 people dead and several others missing. The vessel was carrying 53 people, when it capsized while doing a tour of northern Vietnam's famous Ha Long Bay. Most of the passengers were tourists from the capital Hanoi, local media said. Border guards had recovered 34 bodies on Saturday and another three crew members' bodies were recovered by Sunday morning. Efforts were still on to find the missing people. "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," a rescued 10-year-old boy told state media outlet VietnamNet. Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the accident and see if there were any safety violations. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which spans over 1,500 square kilometers (579 square miles). It is filled with nearly 2,000 islands and islets and is considered one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year. The vessel, dubbed Wonder Sea, was carrying 48 tourists and five crew members at the time of the capsizing, including families with children, VNExpress news outlet reported. Sudden stormy weather landed in Ha Long Bay, with heavy rain and strong winds that appear to have caused the Wonder Sea to overturn. There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning," Ha Long Bay office worker Tran Trong Hung told the French AFP news agency. Rescuers recovered 37 bodies on site. Some 11 people were rescued, while eight are still missing. Among those confirmed dead were eight children, VNExpress reported. The news outlet said a 14-year-old boy was among the survivors. He was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull. Authorities would "investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations," a statement on the government website said. Rescue efforts were set to continue into the night to find the missing.
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Climate
- Borneo Post
Dozens dead in Vietnam after Ha Long Bay tourist ferry sinks
The tourist boat (centre) that capsized is towed back to the port in Ha Long bay, Quang Ninh province on July 20, 2025. – AFP photo HALONG BAY, Vietnam (July 20): Rescuers searched desperately Sunday 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. 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, told AFP: 'The sky turned dark.' There were 'hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorms and lightning', he said. 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 35 bodies had been recovered and 10 people rescued by Sunday, 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'. 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. 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 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) 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. Wipha entered the South China Sea on Sunday gaining strength, and is on course to make landfall in Vietnam early next 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 boat capsize fatal accident Ha Long Bay tourists
