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Daily Mail
20-07-2025
- Daily Mail
At least 37 dead after tourist boat loaded with children capsizes in Vietnam
At least 37 people have died and a number of others are still missing after a tourist boat capsized during stormy weather in Vietnam. The tragedy unfolded in Ha Long Bay - a popular tourist destination in the north of the country - at around 2pm local time. The majority of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese families, including around 20 children, visiting from the capital Hanoi. The boat, named Wonder Seas, was carrying 53 people - 48 tourists and five crew members - when it sank during a sudden thunderstorm, Vietnamese authorities said. It is believed the boat overturned due to strong winds - with heavy rainfall and lightning also reported in the area on Saturday. A 14-year-old boy was among the survivors, and he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull. There has so far been no official announcement on the nationality of the tourists as emergency crews continue to look for survivors. Tran Trong Hung, a resident in the Ha Long Bay said: 'The sky turned dark at around 2pm.' There were 'hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning', he said. Police, Navy, border guards, and port authorities are still scouring the waters, with 27 boats and two rescue crafts reportedly attending the scene. Teams of divers have also been searching both inside the capsized ship's cabin and the surrounding area in search of the missing victims. According to VnExpress, the boat had been sailing through Ha Long Bay at 12.55pm, before being struck by the storm at around 1.30pm. By 2.05pm, the vessel had lost its GPS signal, the local newspaper added, citing the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee. Ha Long Bay, which is about 125 miles northeast of Hanoi, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Boat tours are hugely popular. 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. Earlier this month, a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, killing at least 18 people. The weather came as Storm Wipha, the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to make landfall along Vietnam's northern coast next week. Weather linked to the storm also disrupted air travel. Noi Bai Airport said nine arriving flights were diverted to other airports, and three departing flights were temporarily grounded on Saturday. Torrential rain also lashed northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday. In the capital Hanoi, several trees were knocked down by strong winds.
NZ Herald
19-07-2025
- NZ Herald
30 dead after boat sinks in Ha Long Bay storm
At least 30 people have died after a boat transporting tourists around Vietnam's Ha Long Bay capsized. The Wonder Seas was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized at the Unesco world heritage site because of a sudden heavy rainstorm, it has been reported.
Qatar Tribune
19-07-2025
- Climate
- Qatar Tribune
34 dead after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam
At least 34 people have died and several are still missing after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam during bad weather. The incident took place in Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country. Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese families visiting from the capital Hanoi. Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say, but so far 11 people have been pulled from the water alive. The vessel, named Wonder Seas, was carrying 53 people when it capsized after encountering a sudden storm, a statement from the Vietnamese Border Guards and navy said. An eyewitness said the sky darkened around 14:00 local time on Saturday (07:00 GMT). There were 'hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning', he said. A 10-year-old boy was rescued after being trapped in an air pocket in the upturned hull, local media say. 'I took a deep breath... dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat', the boy - who had been travelling with his parents - told state media outlet VietnamNet. Of the bodies so far recovered, at least eight were children, VNExpress reports. Rescue efforts are set to continue into the night to find the many still missing. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the dead. Authorities will investigate the cause of the accident and 'strictly handle violations', a government statement said. Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province is dotted with hundreds of tiny islets, attracting 4 million tourists in 2019, and is a Unesco World Heritage site. (Agencies)
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
At least 34 dead after tourist boat capsizes during violent thunderstorm in Vietnam
At least 34 people are dead after a sudden thunderstorm caused a tourist boat to capsize in Vietnam on Saturday, according to local reports. The vessel, named Wonder Seas, was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members during a sightseeing excursion of Ha Long Bay, a popular destination for visitors, according to reports cited by The Associated Press. Rescue workers saved 11 people and recovered the dead near the site of the capsizing, VNExpress newspaper said. Search teams are frantically looking for the missing victims of the disaster. At Least 2 Dead, 43 Missing After Ferry Sinks Near Bali Video footage shows two exasperated survivors being rescued on a smaller boat as choppy waters rock the vessel from side to side, illustrating the rough conditions at sea. Footage also shows several people standing on the hull of the capsized Wonder Sea boat waiting to be rescued. Read On The Fox News App The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was among the survivors, and he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull. "Even though the ship overturned and the passenger compartment was locked, there was still a gap of about 50-60 cm [20 to 24 inches], enough for oxygen to enter so the baby was still alive," Bui Cong Hoan, deputy branch of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association, told VNExpress. "Rescuers then broke the window and put the victim in a rescue boat." Hospital director Le Ngoc Dung said that a 10-year-old boy was also among those saved and is currently in a stable condition at Bai Chay Hospital, according to the outlet. Human Remains Found In Sunken Boat Bring Closure To Texas Family's Alaska Tragedy A group of 15 divers went into the sea to search for victims and survivors. An eyewitness told AFP news agency that the sky darkened around 2 p.m. local time on Saturday. There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", he said, per the Bbc. It does not appear that any Americans were on board. Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for clarification, Ha Long Bay is located in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam and is one of the country's most iconic natural landmarks, featuring more than 1,600 limestone islands and islets. "Ha Long," means "Descending Dragon," and local folklore says the islands were formed by a dragon's tail crashing into the sea. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: At least 34 dead after tourist boat capsizes during violent thunderstorm in Vietnam
Fox News
19-07-2025
- Fox News
At least 34 dead after tourist boat capsizes during violent thunderstorm in Vietnam
At least 34 people are dead after a sudden thunderstorm caused a tourist boat to capsize in Vietnam on Saturday, according to local reports. The vessel, named Wonder Seas, was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members during a sightseeing excursion of Ha Long Bay, a popular destination for visitors, according to reports cited by The Associated Press. Rescue workers saved 11 people and recovered the dead near the site of the capsizing, VNExpress newspaper said. Search teams are frantically looking for the missing victims of the disaster. Video footage shows two exasperated survivors being rescued on a smaller boat as choppy waters rock the vessel from side to side, illustrating the rough conditions at sea. Footage also shows several people standing on the hull of the capsized Wonder Sea boat waiting to be rescued. The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was among the survivors, and he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull. "Even though the ship overturned and the passenger compartment was locked, there was still a gap of about 50-60 cm [20 to 24 inches], enough for oxygen to enter so the baby was still alive," Bui Cong Hoan, deputy branch of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association, told VNExpress. "Rescuers then broke the window and put the victim in a rescue boat." Hospital director Le Ngoc Dung said that a 10-year-old boy was also among those saved and is currently in a stable condition at Bai Chay Hospital, according to the outlet. A group of 15 divers went into the sea to search for victims and survivors. An eyewitness told AFP news agency that the sky darkened around 2 p.m. local time on Saturday. There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", he said, per the BBC. It does not appear that any Americans were on board. Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for clarification, Ha Long Bay is located in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam and is one of the country's most iconic natural landmarks, featuring more than 1,600 limestone islands and islets. "Ha Long," means "Descending Dragon," and local folklore says the islands were formed by a dragon's tail crashing into the sea.
