A tourist boat catastrophe in Vietnam’s famed Ha Long Bay has left 34 dead and multiple passengers missing after the vessel capsized during violent storms. The Wonder Seas boat, carrying 53 Vietnamese tourists—mostly families from Hanoi—succumbed to torrential rains and golf ball-sized hailstones that pummeled the UNESCO World Heritage site on Saturday afternoon.
Despite treacherous conditions, rescue teams have pulled 11 survivors from the water, including a 10-year-old boy who miraculously survived trapped in an air pocket beneath the upturned hull.
Local fishermen and survivors described apocalyptic weather conditions preceding the disaster. “The sky turned black by 2 PM,” one witness told AFP, recounting freak hailstorms and deadly lightning strikes that overwhelmed the tourist vessel.
The young survivor, who had been traveling with his parents, recalled his harrowing escape: “I took a deep breath… dove, then swam up. I shouted until a rescue boat grabbed me.” Tragically, at least eight children were among the recovered victims, according to VNExpress.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh pledged a full investigation into the deadly capsizing, vowing to “strictly handle violations” in a government statement.
The tragedy has raised urgent questions about safety protocols for tourist boats in the Quang Ninh province, where Ha Long Bay’s 4 million annual visitors explore its emerald waters and limestone islets. With rescue operations continuing overnight, authorities face mounting pressure to explain why the Wonder Seas was operating in severe weather alerts.
