Dozens of rescuers in Vietnam continued their urgent search on Sunday for four missing individuals, following the recovery of dozens of bodies after a sudden thunderstorm capsized a tourist boat in the renowned destination of Halong Bay, Reuters reported.
Despite initially calm seas, rescuers – including police, border guards, divers, and navy personnel – faced challenging conditions with limited visibility. Their efforts unfolded hours before the anticipated landfall in northern Vietnam of Typhoon Wipha, which is presently tracking towards Hong Kong.
The Vietnamese government reported that rescuers successfully retrieved the sunken vessel. Officials revised Saturday’s initial figures downwards, confirming 35 fatalities from an earlier estimate of 38. The estimated number of people aboard was also adjusted to 49, down from 53. However, authorities expressed concern that the death toll could still rise.
The official Vietnam News Agency stated that all the tourists on board were Vietnamese nationals, including several children.
The government attributed the accident to a “sudden” storm. Reports indicated strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning around the time the vessel capsized at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Officials at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport confirmed nine flights were diverted and three departures were temporarily halted due to the severe weather.
The incident ranks among the worst recent tragedies in the UNESCO-protected archipelago, famed for its thousands of limestone islands situated roughly 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi. The area attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually.
A previous tour boat sinking in Halong Bay occurred in 2011, resulting in 12 fatalities, including some foreign tourists.
