By Phuong Nguyen
Updated
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam: The death toll from a tourist boat accident in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay climbed to at least 38 with several people still missing, the government said, as rescuers continued to search for survivors while bracing for the approach of Typhoon Wipha.
The vessel capsized on Saturday afternoon carrying 48 tourists and five crew members in one of the worst boating accidents in recent years in the popular tourist area.
“At least 38 of those on board have been confirmed dead and 10 rescued,” the government said in a statement.
The official Vietnam News Agency reported that all the tourists were Vietnamese, including several children.
Dozens of rescuers, including border guards, navy personnel, police and professional divers, have been deployed. Although the sea had calmed, weather conditions limited visibility, making rescue operations difficult.
Rescuers managed to retrieve the sunken boat, the government said.
Image from a video showing people on a capsized tourist boat being rescued in Halong Bay, Vietnam, on SaturdayCredit: AP
Survivor Dang Anh Tuan, 36, said a storm quickly covered the sky, bringing high winds and pouring rain.
He said the passengers asked for the boat to turn back to shore, but the crew reassured them they were almost at their destination and kept the boat moving forward.
“It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously, tables and chairs were jostled around and seconds later the boat overturned,” the fire extinguisher salesman said.
“Water gushed in and I lost all orientation. I tried to breathe. But more water came in.
Rescue workers search for survivors after a tourist boat capsized in Halong Bay, Vietnam.Credit: AP
“I took a deep breath, got rid of my life vest and dove down. I saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out, escaping the boat, and then I climbed on the overturned boat to look for help.”
Tuan – who has only minor cuts – was a holiday with 11 university friends, only three of whom survived. He and three others clung on to the capsized boat and its propellers for two hours until the rain stopped and rescued arrived.
The accident took place about 5pm AEST on Saturday, soon after Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea.
Authorities reported strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning in the area at the time of the incident, adding that these conditions were not yet influenced by the approaching typhoon but were due to wind patterns over the northern region.
Ha Long Bay, about 200 kilometres northeast of Hanoi, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Boat tours are particularly popular.
In 2011, the sinking of a tour boat in Ha Long Bay killed 12 people, including foreign tourists.
Reuters, AP
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