Tragedy Strikes as Tourist Boat Capsizes in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, Claiming 38 Lives

World News

Tragedy Strikes as Tourist Boat Capsizes in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, Claiming 38 Lives

4 months ago

News sources:

CHANNELNEWSASIA 2

SCMP 2

INDIATIMES 2

LEMONDE

DAWN

REUTERS 3

THEHILL

Tragedy Strikes as Tourist Boat Capsizes in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, Claiming 38 Lives

Credited from: REUTERS

A tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, resulting in at least 38 fatalities.
The incident occurred during a sudden thunderstorm, causing chaos among passengers.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with several individuals still missing.

A tragic accident occurred in Ha Long Bay when a tourist boat capsized during a sudden thunderstorm, resulting in at least 38 deaths and several missing persons. The vessel was carrying 48 tourists and five crew members at the time of the incident, which happened around 2 p.m. local time on Saturday. This situation is described as one of the worst boating accidents in recent years within this popular tourist destination, according to Channel News Asia, South China Morning Post, and The Hill.

The boat, reportedly operated by Wonder Sea, capsized due to strong winds and heavy rain associated with the thunderstorm. Eyewitness accounts describe the storm hitting abruptly, transforming a calm scene into chaos within moments. "It took only a few seconds," recounted survivor Nguyen Hong Quan, who shared his harrowing experience of clinging to debris after the vessel overturned, as covered by Reuters, Reuters, and India Times.

Rescue operations have been hindered by adverse weather conditions and poor visibility, complicating efforts to locate missing individuals. Officials have mobilized various rescue teams, including border guards and navy personnel, as they strive to recover more bodies, as reported by Le Monde, Reuters, and South China Morning Post.