Ha Long Bay disaster: Tourist boat capsizes, dozens dead

A boat ferrying mostly families around an iconic tourist spot popular with Aussies has capsized in an unexpected wild storm, leaving at least 35 dead.

Rescuers were desperately searching for five people still missing after 38 were killed when a boat capsized in one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations.

The tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam’s famed Ha Long Bay was lashed by a storm on Saturday in one of the UNESCO World Heritage site’s deadliest disasters.

The vessel “Wonder Sea” was carrying 46 passengers and three crew when it capsized because of sudden heavy rain, according to a provincial police report seen by AFP.

Tran Trong Hung, a resident in the Ha Long Bay area, told AFP: “The sky turned dark.” There were “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorms and lightning”, he said.

This image from a video provided by QDND shows people on a capsized tourist boat being rescued in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. Picture: QDND via AP)

People on a capsized tourist boat being rescued in Ha Long Bay. Picture: QDND via AP

Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital, Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, state media outlet VNExpress said.

By Sunday (AEST) 35 bodies had been recovered and 10 people rescued, police said, with four people still missing.

Overnight the three crew members’ bodies were found in the cabin.

Relatives of the victims stand before coffins at a funeral home in Ha Long, Quang Ninh province. Picture: Nhac Nguyen / AFP

One of the rescued, a 10-year-old boy, told state media outlet VietnamNet:

“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.”

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and called on the defence and public security ministries to conduct urgent search and rescue.

Authorities would “investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations”, a statement on the government website said.

Rescue workers searching for people after a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay. Picture: QDND via AP

Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers. Picture: VNA / AFP

Torrential rain also lashed northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday.

In the capital about 175 kilometres away, several trees were knocked down by strong winds.

The storm followed three days of intense heat, with the mercury hitting 37 degrees in some areas.

Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, was quoted in VNExpress as saying that the thunderstorms in northern Vietnam were not caused by the influence of Tropical Storm Wipha in the South China Sea.

Wipha entered the South China Sea on Sunday gaining strength and is on course to make landfall in Vietnam early next week.

Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations, with millions of people visiting its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands each year.

The area is one of Vietnam’s most famous tourist destinations. Picture: AP

Last year, 30 vessels sank at boat lock areas in coastal Quang Ninh province along Ha Long Bay after Typhoon Yagi brought strong wind and waves.

And this month, a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, killing at least 18 people.

With AFP