At least 35 people have died and several remain missing after a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay, northern Vietnam, amid sudden and violent storms on Saturday afternoon.
The vessel, Wonder Seas, was carrying 53 people mostly Vietnamese families from Hanoi when it was struck by extreme weather conditions around 2:00 PM local time.
Local authorities confirmed that 10 people have been rescued so far, including a 10-year-old boy who survived after being trapped in an air pocket inside the capsized hull.
“There were hailstones as big as toes, torrential rain, thunder and lightning,” one eyewitness told AFP, describing the moment the sky darkened and chaos struck.
Among the deceased are at least eight children, according to Vietnamese media outlet VNExpress.
The incident has left families devastated, including Nguyen Thi Lien, who lost her 21-year-old son. “All I want to do is die… I don’t want anything in this world anymore.”
Trang Trung Tu, whose 32-year-old brother also perished, added, “My brother could swim, but I was told everything happened too fast.”
The Wonder Seas reportedly capsized quickly, giving passengers little time to react.
The Vietnamese Border Guard and navy confirmed they are continuing the search for survivors, though heavy rainfall and low visibility have hampered rescue efforts through Sunday.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended condolences to the grieving families and ordered a full investigation. “Violations, if any, will be strictly handled,” a government statement read.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its emerald waters and limestone islands, attracted over four million tourists in 2019. This disaster is likely to prompt scrutiny over safety regulations for vessels operating in the region’s increasingly unpredictable climate.
