Latest news with #boatcapsize
Free Malaysia Today
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Boat capsizes off Indonesia's Mentawai islands, 11 people missing
Two boats and dozens of rescuers were deployed to find the missing people. (AP pic) JAKARTA : Indonesian rescuers were searching for 11 people missing after a boat capsized in bad weather off the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra province, the local search and rescue agency said on Tuesday. Eight people had been rescued after the incident, which happened on Monday at around 11.00am (0400 GMT), the rescue agency said in a statement. Of 18 people on board, 10 were local government officials. The boat had departed Sikakap, a small town in the Mentawai Islands, and was heading to another small town, Tuapejat. Two boats and dozens of rescuers were deployed to find the missing people on Tuesday. Boats and ferries are a regular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, and accidents are relatively common due to bad weather as well as lax safety standards that often allow vessels to be overloaded. A ferry sank earlier this month near the island of Bali. Of the 65 people on board, 18 died, 30 survived and 17 remain missing.
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Families in Vietnam mourn dead after tourist ferry sinks at Ha Long Bay, killing at least 35
At least 35 people were killed after a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam on Saturday (Jul 19). Authorities said that all the tourists aboard were Vietnamese, including several children. Relatives of those who perished in the incident mourned their dead as bodies were brought to a funeral home near Ha Long City on Sunday. Rescuers continue to search for four people who remain missing.
Irish Times
3 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
SBS Australia
3 days ago
- SBS Australia
Vietnam tourist boat capsizes in Ha Long Bay, killing at least 35
Three more bodies have been found after a tourist boat capsized in northern Vietnam's famous Ha Long Bay, raising the death toll to at least 35. The bodies of three crew members, trapped inside the cabin, had been found, the Department of National Defence Search and Rescue said on Sunday. Among the confirmed dead are eight children. A search is continuing for four who are still missing, according to Vietnamese state media. Authorities said earlier reports of 38 dead and five missing were incorrect. The boat, carrying 48 tourists and five crew members, capsized about 2pm on Saturday as Storm Wipha approached the country across the South China Sea. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged authorities to prioritise rescue operations. Ha Long Bay in Vietnam attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. Source: PA / Nguyen Van Hai-Barbier Jean Pierre Authorities mobilised 323 personnel for the rescue operation, including border guards, the navy, police and port authorities. Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spans over 1,500 sq km and is dotted with nearly 2,000 islands and islets. It is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year. Most of the tourists were from the capital Hanoi, local newspaper VnExpress reported. Rescue teams found 11 survivors, the state-run Vietnam News Agency said citing local authorities. A 14-year-old boy was reportedly among the survivors, and he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull. Storm Wipha, the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to make landfall along Vietnam's northern coast early 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.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
At least 37 dead and several missing after tourist boat capsizes in storm in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay
At least 37 people died after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam during a thunderstorm on Saturday, state media announced. Five people are reportedly still missing. The boat, called The Wonder Sea, was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members, all Vietnamese nationals. They had been on a sightseeing excursion of Ha Long Bay, one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, when a sudden storm with strong winds turned the vessel upside down. According to the newspaper VNExpress, a rescue team managed to save 11 people and recovered 27 bodies, eight of them children, in the vicinity of the wreck. Initially, 12 survivors had been reported, but the figure was later corrected. The newspaper reported that most of the passengers, including 20 children, were tourists from the capital Hanoi. Among those rescued was a 14-year-old boy, who was found alive after spending four hours trapped in the upside-down hull of the boat. The tragedy comes just as a new tropical storm, named Wipha, heads towards northern Vietnam. The storm marks the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year, is expected to make landfall at the start of next week. The national meteorological centre has warned that the coastal region of Ha Long Bay could be significantly impacted, which would further complicate search and rescue operations. Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to thousands of limestone islands and islets and is known for its emerald waters. The tourist spot attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.
