37 Dead After Tourist Boat Capsizes in Vietnam’s Iconic Ha Long Bay
A tragic accident occurred in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay when a tourist boat capsized during a sudden thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 37 people dead and five others missing. According to Vietnamese state media, the vessel—identified as the Wonder Sea Boat—was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members at the time of the incident.
More than 20 children were among the passengers on board the ill-fated vessel.
According to the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA), rescue teams had located 10 survivors by Saturday evening and recovered 37 bodies by Sunday morning. Four of the victims remain unidentified.
Rescue operations continued through the night, and authorities have since brought the salvaged Wonder Sea Boat ashore, VNA reported.
Most of the passengers were Vietnamese families visiting from the capital city of Hanoi, according to the local news outlet VNExpress.
A 14-year-old boy was rescued after spending four hours trapped inside the overturned hull, according to reports.
Another child who survived the tragedy shared his harrowing experience with state 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,” the 10-year-old boy recounted to the state-run outlet VietnamNet.
Authorities have pledged a full investigation into the tragedy. A statement on the Vietnamese government’s official website said they will “investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations.”
According to Vietnam Law Magazine, the Wonder Sea Boat capsized during an unexpected outbreak of extreme weather that brought torrential rain, lightning, and powerful winds across northern Vietnam and the Gulf of Tonkin.
According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, the extreme weather was caused by a convergence zone sweeping through the region. This system, combined with three consecutive days of scorching heat, created unstable atmospheric conditions ideal for the formation of severe storms.
The center has also warned of continued thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in the coming days, driven by the arrival of Storm Wipha. The storm entered the South China Sea on Sunday, is strengthening, and is expected to make landfall in Vietnam early next week.
Strong gusts associated with Storm Wipha have already caused significant disruption in Hanoi, located about 175 kilometers (110 miles) from Ha Long Bay. Several trees were uprooted across the city, and air travel was affected.
Noi Bai International Airport reported that nine incoming flights had to be diverted to alternate airports, while three departing flights were temporarily grounded on Saturday due to severe weather conditions.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of Vietnam’s top tourist attractions, renowned for its emerald waters and dramatic limestone islands covered in lush rainforest. Each year, it draws millions of visitors.
This is not the first time the region has faced such danger. Last year, 30 vessels sank in the boat lock areas of coastal Quang Ninh province after Typhoon Yagi swept through the area with strong winds and high waves.
