Tour Boat Capsizes in Ha Long Bay Storm, 34 Dead

Families among victims as rescuers search for eight missing

A devastating storm surge claimed the lives of at least 34 people when a tourist vessel capsized in Vietnam’s famed Ha Long Bay on Saturday afternoon. Rescuers are continuing a desperate search for the eight individuals still unaccounted for.

Storm Unleashes Fury on Tourist Hotspot

The disaster struck around 2 p.m. local time as the boat, carrying 48 tourists and five crew members, was navigating the UNESCO World Heritage site. Sudden, torrential rain accompanied by fierce winds and lightning overwhelmed the vessel. The area experienced severe weather as Storm Wipha made its entry into the South China Sea.

One rescued passenger, a 10-year-old boy, recounted the harrowing experience: “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.”

Families and Children Among Victims

Initial reports indicate that many of those aboard were families visiting from Hanoi, with over 20 children reported among the passengers. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the nationalities of the victims.

An office worker who witnessed the storm’s onset described the rapid change in conditions. “The sky turned dark at around 2 p.m.,” said **Tran Trong Hung**, adding that the weather brought “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning.”

The casualty count tragically highlights the vulnerability of marine tourism. For comparison, severe weather events at sea can have devastating consequences; for instance, a 2015 ferry accident in Tanzania, exacerbated by bad weather, resulted in over 100 fatalities.

Ongoing Rescue Efforts

Border guards successfully rescued 11 individuals, while the grim task of recovering bodies continued into the night. Efforts are focused on locating the remaining eight people feared to have been on the ill-fated excursion.