- By Ajeet Kumar
- Sat, 19 Jul 2025 08:28 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
At least 34 people died after a tourist boat capsized in stormy weather in Vietnam's Halong Bay on Saturday, news agency Reuters reported, citing state media. The boat, carrying 53 people, tipped over at around 2 p.m. local time (0700 GMT), as Storm Wipha approached the country across the South China Sea. Strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning were reported in the area. Most of the tourists were from the capital, Hanoi, local newspaper VnExpress reported.
There was no official announcement on the nationality of the tourists as emergency crews kept looking for survivors. Rescue teams found 11 survivors and recovered 27 bodies, eight of them children, the state-run Vietnam News Agency said, citing local authorities.
VIDEO: Ha Long Bay tourist boat capsizes
In Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, a passenger boat carrying 48 passengers and 5 crew members capsized during todays storm. Rescue teams, including the Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard, saved 12 people and recovered 3 bodies by 6:00pm. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. pic.twitter.com/ERJ1Eoptn8
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) July 19, 2025
20 children among tourists on boat
The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was among the survivors, and he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull.
The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists, including about 20 children, from Hanoi, the country's capital. A tropical storm is also moving toward the area. A national weather forecast said that Storm Wipha is expected to hit Vietnam's northern region, including Ha Long Bay's coast 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.
(With inputs from agencies)