Hanoi, Vietnam — At least 37 people have died and five remain missing after a tourist boat capsized during a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, according to state media reports.
The vessel, named Wonder Sea Boat, was carrying 48 passengers—many of them children—and five crew members when it overturned on Saturday afternoon during extreme weather conditions. Vietnamese authorities confirmed that 10 survivors were rescued by Saturday evening, while recovery teams had retrieved 37 bodies by Sunday morning.
Among those rescued was a 14-year-old boy who survived nearly four hours trapped in the overturned hull of the boat. Another survivor, a 10-year-old child, described his harrowing escape to local media: “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.”
Four of the deceased have yet to be identified, while rescue teams continue to search for the missing. The boat has since been salvaged and brought ashore, according to Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
Most of the passengers were Vietnamese families visiting from the capital, Hanoi. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the tragedy. “Violations, if found, will be strictly handled,” a government statement said.
Experts from the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting attributed the sudden storm to a convergence zone exacerbated by recent high temperatures, creating volatile weather across northern Vietnam and the Gulf of Tonkin. The area is also bracing for further severe weather due to the incoming Storm Wipha, which entered the South China Sea on Sunday and is expected to strengthen as it approaches Vietnam early next week.
Wipha has already caused disruptions in Hanoi, about 175 km from Ha Long Bay, where strong gusts toppled trees and forced several flight delays and diversions at Noi Bai International Airport.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Vietnam’s top tourist attractions, known for its emerald waters and towering limestone karsts. The region draws millions of tourists annually. However, boat safety concerns have resurfaced following similar incidents, including last year’s Typhoon Yagi, which sank 30 vessels in the nearby Quang Ninh province.
Authorities are urging tour operators to review safety protocols as stormy weather continues to threaten the region.
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