This image from a video provided by QDND shows a body being carried on stretcher after a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam on Saturday, July 19, 2025.
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HA LONG BAY, Vietnam — A boat carrying tourists capsized during a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam on Saturday afternoon during a sightseeing excursion, resulting in the tragic loss of 34 lives, as reported by state media. Eight individuals are still unaccounted for.
The ill-fated Wonder Sea vessel was transporting 48 passengers and five crew members, all of whom were Vietnamese nationals, on a tour of the picturesque Ha Long Bay when the incident occurred.
Rescue efforts managed to save 11 individuals, while the deceased were found near the capsized boat. Twenty-three people are still missing. Initially, authorities had stated that 12 individuals were rescued, but this number was later corrected to 11.
The boat overturned due to powerful winds, with a 14-year-old boy among the survivors who was rescued after being trapped in the overturned vessel for four hours.
According to reports, most of the passengers, including approximately 20 children, were tourists from Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.
Adding to the tragedy, a tropical storm named Wipha is approaching the area. The national weather forecast predicts that Storm Wipha will make landfall in Vietnam’s northern region, including the coast of Ha Long Bay, in the upcoming week.
