A tourist boat capsized during a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam on Saturday afternoon during a sightseeing excursion, killing 18 people and leaving dozens of others missing, state media reported.
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A sightseeing vessel capsized in northern Vietnam on Saturday afternoon amid a sudden thunderstorm, leaving at least 18 people dead and dozens missing, according to state media.
The boat named Wonder Sea, had 48 passengers and five crew members on board as it toured the scenic waters of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site popular with domestic and international tourists.
Rescue workers saved 12 people, and recovered the 18 bodies near the site of the capsizing, VNExpress newspaper said. Twenty-three people remain missing.
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.
The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists, including about 20 children, from Hanoi, the country’s capital.
A tropical storm is also moving toward the area. A national weather forecast said that Storm Wipha is expected to hit Vietnam’s northern region, including Ha Long Bay’s coast next week.
Meanwhile, a tropical storm named Wipha is approaching the region. Vietnam’s national weather service has forecast that the storm will likely affect the northern coast, including Ha Long Bay, in the coming week.
With inputs from agencies
