Tourist boat capsizes during a thunderstorm in Vietnam, leaving 34 dead, dozens missing

A tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam's Ha Long Bay capsized in a storm on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 34 people dead, according to state media reports, as rescuers scrambled to locate the missing.

The vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized in the UNESCO World Heritage site because of sudden heavy rain, the VNExpress news site said.

Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, it said.

"Border guards rescued 11 people and recovered 34 bodies," it added.

Rescue efforts underway

Rescue efforts were set to continue into the night to find the eight still missing.

Ha Long Bay office worker Tran Trong Hung told AFP the storm started in the afternoon.

"The sky turned dark at around 2 pm (0700 GMT)," he said.

There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", he said.

One of the rescued, a 10-year-old boy, told state media outlet VietnamNet: "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."

Weather conditions

Local resident Tran Trong Hung told AFP, “The sky turned dark around 2 pm.” He described “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning.” The storm also battered northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, and Bac Ninh provinces, where strong winds knocked down trees.

The storm followed three days of intense heat, with temperatures reaching 37°C in some areas. Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, said the thunderstorms in northern Vietnam were unrelated to Tropical Storm Wipha in the South China Sea.

Ha Long Bay is a top tourist destination in Vietnam, attracting millions annually to its emerald waters and limestone islands. Last year, 30 vessels sank in boat lock areas of coastal Quang Ninh province near Ha Long Bay during Typhoon Yagi, which brought strong winds and waves.

In a similar tragedy earlier this month, a ferry sank near Bali, Indonesia, killing at least 18 people.