37 Killed After Tourist Boat Capsizes In Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay During Storm

At least 37 people have died and five are still missing after a tourist boat capsized during a thunderstorm in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay on Saturday afternoon, according to reports from Vietnamese state media.

The boat, named Wonder Sea, had 48 passengers and five crew members on board when it overturned at around 2 pm local time. The incident happened during a sudden and powerful storm that brought strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning to the area.

Rescue teams have so far saved 11 people. Earlier reports said 12 had been rescued, but that figure was later revised to 11. According to the official Vietnam News Agency, 37 bodies were recovered by Sunday morning. Four of the victims have not yet been identified.

Most of those on board were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children. Reports said the passengers were Vietnamese families on a sightseeing trip. One of the survivors was a 14-year-old boy who was rescued after being trapped inside the overturned boat hull for four hours.

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Another child who survived told state media that he had to swim through a gap in the boat to escape. He said he took a deep breath, swam through, dived under, came up and shouted for help. He was then rescued by a military boat.

Authorities have now pulled the damaged boat ashore. The Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh offered condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and called for an investigation.

A statement posted on the government’s website said the cause must be clarified and any violations must be strictly punished.

According to Vietnam Law Magazine, the thunderstorm was caused by a convergence zone sweeping through northern Vietnam and the Gulf of Tonkin.

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The area had been experiencing three days of extreme heat, causing unstable weather conditions. The National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting explained that these factors led to the violent storm.

Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most famous tourist spots, known for its blue-green waters and limestone islands. Millions of tourists visit the area each year.

Just last year, 30 vessels sank in the same coastal Quang Ninh province due to Typhoon Yagi, which also brought strong winds and waves.

References: Reuters, Al Jazeera

Source: Maritime Shipping News