OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:42 PM – Saturday, July 19, 2025
At least 34 people have died after a sudden thunderstorm caused a tourist boat to capsize in Vietnam.
On Saturday, the Wonder Seas vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members during a sightseeing excursion of Ha Long Bay, a popular destination for visitors, according to reports cited by The Associated Press.
Rescue workers saved 11 people near the site of the capsizing, VNExpress newspaper said.
Reports added that search teams are frantically looking for missing victims of the disaster.
Video footage shared to social media showed two survivors being rescued on a smaller boat as waters rock the boat from side to side.
Footage also showed several people standing on the hull of the capsized boat waiting to be rescued. The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said.
A 14-year-old boy was among the survivors, and he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull.
“Even though the ship overturned and the passenger compartment was locked, there was still a gap of about 50-60 cm [20 to 24 inches], enough for oxygen to enter so the baby was still alive,” Bui Cong Hoan, deputy branch of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association, told VNExpress. “Rescuers then broke the window and put the victim in a rescue boat.”
Hospital director Le Ngoc Dung said that a 10-year-old boy was also among those saved and is currently in a stable condition at Bai Chay Hospital.
A group of 15 divers went into the sea to search for victims and survivors.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and called on the defense and public security ministries to conduct urgent search and rescue.
A statement on the government website said that authorities would “investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations.”
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