Tourist Cruise Capsizes In Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, Claiming 37 Lives

A Disaster unfolded in northern Vietnam as a Cruise ship carrying dozens of tourists in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh province, after a sudden and severe storm.

The death toll has now risen to 37, with ongoing rescue operations, as per the Vietnam News Agency. The incident occurred on Saturday at approximately 1:30 PM local time.

According to officials, the ship faced a violent storm sweeping through the area and lost all contact with authorities by 2:05 PM, eventually sinking beneath the waters of the bay.

The cruise boat had 48 passengers on board at the time, including 24 men and 24 women, among whom most were young individuals.

According to VNExpress, the cruise also had 5 crew members on board. As per reports by Tien Phong, a local media outlet,  the majority of the passengers were Vietnamese families from the capital, Hanoi, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

However, rescue teams were successful in saving 11 lives despite the challenging weather conditions and heavy rain. Some of them are still missing, and the search operation is likely to continue throughout the night.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and has called for a thorough investigation into the accident.

In an official statement, the government stressed that any violations contributing to the incident would be ‘strictly handled’.

Ha Long Bay, famous for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands, ranks among Vietnam’s leading tourist destinations. In 2019 alone, it welcomed over 4 million visitors, both domestic and international.

While rescue efforts are ongoing, the country grieves the lives lost in one of its most iconic natural landmarks.

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