A tourist boat carrying 53 people capsized on Saturday in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, following which at least 34 people have died and eight remain missing, AP reported citing state media.

11 people were saved by the rescue workers, the local newspaper VNExpress said. The news agency quoted Quang Ninh provincial authorities, who said that the Wonder Sea cruise boat overturned around 1:45 p.m. near Dau Go Cave.

They added that there were 48 tourists on board along with 5 crew members, including many families with children.

The report added that the authorities have rescued saved 12 people, while 23people remain missing.

Citing the reason for the boat capsize, the authorities said that the boat turned upside down because of strong winds.

Apart from this, Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said the ongoing rains in northern Vietnam were not due to the impacts of the approaching Storm Wipha from the South China Sea.

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued an urgent dispatch following the capsizing of the Vinh Xanh 58 tourist service boat. He instructed the Ministry of National Defence, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security and other relevant ministries, agencies, and local authorities, to mobilise all available personnel and resources operating near the area to carry out search and rescue operations as swiftly and effectively as possible, added Vietnamplus.

As per the details, the Ha Long Bay spans over 1,500 square kilometers and dotted with nearly 2,000 islands. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and draws millions of international and domestic visitors each year, reported VNExpress.

Earlier in 2024, 30 vessels sank at boat lock areas in coastal Quang Ninh province along Ha Long Bay after being pounded by strong wind and waves brought by deadly Typhoon Yagi.

Dozens of people have been killed after a tourist boat capsized in a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam.

At least 34 people died after the sightseeing vessel was turned upside down by strong winds during a tour of Ha Long Bay on Saturday, state media reported.

The Wonder Sea boat was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members. Authorities earlier reported that 12 people had been rescued, but revised the figure to 11. Another eight people remain missing.

A 14-year-old boy was among the survivors and said he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull.

“I took a deep breath, dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat,” the boy, who had been travelling with his parents, told VietnamNet.

Survivors sit on top of the capsized vessel as rescue workers arrive (AP)

Survivors sit on top of the capsized vessel as rescue workers arrive (AP)

The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists, including about 20 children, from the country’s capital, Hanoi.

A witness told AFP news agency that the sky darkened around 2pm local time on Saturday (7am BST). He said there were “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning”.

A picture showed two people sitting on top of the capsized vessel in choppy water as rescue workers arrived to help them.

People are rescued from the capsized boat after it was knocked over during a sudden thunderstorm (AP)

People are rescued from the capsized boat after it was knocked over during a sudden thunderstorm (AP)

Last week, around 10 people went missing after a boat capsized off Indonesia;s Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra province due to bad weather.

Eight others were rescued after the boat sank on Monday around 11am local time, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency said.

The boat had departed Sikakap, a small town in the Mentawai Islands, and was heading to another small town, Tuapejat. At least 10 government officials were among the 18 people on board the boat, according to reports.

Authorities deployed two boats and dozens of rescuers on Tuesday to find the missing people.

Dozens dead after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam

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Rescuers search for missing people after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam

At least 34 people have died and several are still missing after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam during bad weather. The incident took place in Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country. Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese families visiting from the capital Hanoi. Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say, but so far 11 people have been pulled from the water alive.

The vessel, named Wonder Seas, was carrying 53 people when it capsized after encountering a sudden storm, a statement from the Vietnamese Border Guards and navy said. An eyewitness told AFP news agency that the sky darkened around 14:00 local time on Saturday (07:00 GMT). There were “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning”, he said.

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A 10-year-old boy was rescued after being trapped in an air pocket in the upturned hull, local media say. “I took a deep breath… dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat”, the boy – who had been travelling with his parents – told state media outlet VietnamNet. Of the bodies so far recovered, at least eight were children, VNExpress reports. Rescue efforts are set to continue into the night to find the many still missing. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the dead. Authorities will investigate the cause of the accident and “strictly handle violations”, a government statement said.