TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A tourist boat carrying families around Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, capsized and sank due to a storm on Saturday evening. The accident claimed the lives of at least 34 people, according to government media reports, while rescue teams rushed to search for the missing victims.
The boat was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized due to a sudden heavy rain while sailing around the UNESCO World Heritage site, as reported by VNExpress news site, as cited by CNA.
"Border guards rescued 11 people and recovered 34 bodies."
The accident occurred around 2 p.m. local time, shortly after Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea. Strong winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms were recorded in the area.
Authorities have not disclosed details about the tourists or their nationalities, and rescue efforts will continue into the night to find the eight people still missing.
Most passengers were families visiting from the capital, Hanoi, with over 20 children among the passengers, VNExpress reported.
Tran Trong Hung, an official at Ha Long Bay, said the storm started in the afternoon.
"The sky turned dark at around 2pm," he said, adding that there was "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning."
One of the survivors, a 10-year-old boy, told VietnamNet government 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."
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed condolences to the families of the victims and requested the Ministry of Defense and Public Security to promptly conduct search and rescue operations.
Authorities will "investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations," according to a statement on the government website.
CNA has contacted the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out if there were any Singaporean nationals on the tourist boat.
Heavy rain also poured in the northern provinces of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, and Bac Ninh on Saturday. In the capital located approximately 175 kilometers away, several trees fell due to strong winds.
The storm occurred after three intense hot days, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius in some areas.
Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Hydrometeorological Forecasting Center, quoted in VNExpress stated that the thunderstorm in northern Vietnam was not caused by the influence of Typhoon Wipha in the South China Sea.
Ha Long Bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam, with millions of people visiting its emerald blue waters and limestone islands covered in rainforest every year.
Last year, 30 boats sank in the key shipping area in Quang Ninh coastal province along Ha Long Bay after being hit by strong winds and deadly waves brought by Typhoon Yagi.
Typhoon Wipha, the third storm to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to land along the northern coast of Vietnam early next week.
Weather disruptions associated with the typhoon also impacted air travel. Noi Bai Airport reported that nine incoming flights were diverted to alternative airports, while three outgoing flights were temporarily delayed due to poor weather conditions.
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