HA LONG BAY, Vietnam – A tragic boating accident in one of Southeast Asia’s top tourist destinations has left at least 37 people dead and five others missing after a vessel capsized during a violent thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon.
The Wonder Sea Boat, carrying 48 passengers — many of them children — and five crew members, overturned suddenly as severe weather swept through Ha Long Bay, according to Vietnamese state media. The popular bay, known for its emerald waters and towering limestone islands, became the scene of a large-scale rescue and recovery operation overnight.
According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the boat was caught in a sudden storm that brought torrential rain, fierce winds, and lightning. The boat flipped mid-excursion, leaving passengers trapped or flung into the water. Rescue teams recovered 37 bodies by Sunday morning and managed to save 10 survivors.
One of the most remarkable survival stories came from a 14-year-old boy, who was found alive after being trapped inside the hull for four hours. A younger child, aged 10, also survived by swimming through the submerged wreckage. “I took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dived, then swam up,” he told VietnamNet. “I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat with soldiers.”
Most of the passengers were Vietnamese families from the capital Hanoi, enjoying a weekend getaway. More than 20 children were reportedly on board. As of Sunday, four victims remain unidentified. Officials have not confirmed whether any foreign tourists were among the casualties.
Two ambulances were seen waiting at the pier as rescue operations continued through the night and into Sunday morning.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed condolences to the grieving families and pledged a full investigation. “Authorities will investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations,” read a government statement.
The Vietnam Law Magazine cited the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, which explained the storm was caused by a convergence zone and three days of extreme heat, creating highly unstable atmospheric conditions.
Adding to the urgency, Storm Wipha entered the South China Sea on Sunday and is predicted to make landfall in Vietnam early next week. Strong gusts linked to the storm have already knocked down trees in Hanoi, 175km from Ha Long Bay, and disrupted air traffic at Noi Bai International Airport, where multiple flights were diverted or delayed.
This isn’t the first incident of its kind in the region. In 2024, 30 vessels sank at docking zones along Quang Ninh Province, which encompasses Ha Long Bay, after Typhoon Yagi caused violent sea conditions.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, draws millions of tourists annually for its iconic seascapes. But the recent tragedy is a stark reminder of the risks posed by increasingly unpredictable climate events — especially when tourism infrastructure may not be fully equipped to respond.
For now, rescue workers continue searching the murky waters, while the nation grapples with one of the deadliest maritime disasters in recent years. As Vietnam prepares for more extreme weather in the coming days, questions loom over safety regulations, weather alert systems, and accountability in a nation heavily dependent on tourism.
Source: AJ
