A tourist boat carrying 53 people capsized during a violent storm in Vietnam Saturday, killing at least 34, including children, and leaving eight others missing in the chaos, according to reports.
The Wonder Sea had 49 tourists and five crew members aboard during a sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay, a popular destination, when heavy rain and winds suddenly struck around 1:30 p.m. local time, causing it to tilt and then overturn, VNExpress reported.
One eyewitness told AFP that the sky instantly turned dark as torrential rain and “hailstones as big as toes” pelted down from above amid thunder and lightning.
At least 27 people died after a tourist boat capsized in stormy weather in Vietnam’s Halong Bay on Saturday, state media reported. reutersBorder guards, navy units, police and port authorities rushed to the harrowing scene, deploying 27 boats and two rescue crafts in a desperate bid to save lives.
Rescue teams have since saved 11 people and recovered 34 bodies, including eight children, at the doomed site, as efforts continue to locate the remaining missing victims.
More than 20 children were on board, including a 10-year-old boy who was rescued from the treacherous waters.
“I took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dived, then swam up,” the youngster, who is in stable condition at a local hospital after suffering multiple injuries, told state media outlet VietnamNET.
Emergency services attend to a capsized tourist boat, which was believed to be carrying more than 50 passengers on board. Anadolu via Getty Images
Relief personnel gathered around a capsized tourist boat during a search and rescue operation in the Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh province. Vietnam News Agency/AFP via Getty Images“I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat with soldiers.”
The passengers – all Vietnamese – included families visiting from Vietnam’s capital Hanoi. The oldest passenger was 54, and the youngest just three, according to local reports.
A 14-year-old also survived the horrific ordeal after being trapped inside the hull’s sunken cabin for four hours.
The boat, carrying 53 people, tipped over at around 2 p.m. local time, as Storm Wipha approached the country across the South China Sea. reuters“Although the ship had overturned and the cabin doors were locked, there was still an air pocket about 50-60 cm [20-24 inches] wide,” Bui Cong Hoan, deputy head of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association, told VNExpress.
“Enough for oxygen to get in, so the boy survived.”
The boat reportedly capsized near Dua Go Cave, one of the largest landmarks in the tourist hotspot in the northern part of the country.
Strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning were reported in the area. reuters
Rescue workers searching for people after a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, on Saturday, July 19, 2025. AP
A body being carried on a stretcher after a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, on Saturday, July 19, 2025. APPrime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and called on the public safety officials to conduct an urgent search and rescue.
Tropical storm Wipha, the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year, is expected to hit Vietnam’s northern coast early next week.
With Post Wires.
