A boat carrying tourists capsized after an unexpected thunderstorm hit Vietnam Saturday, leaving 34 people dead, according to multiple reports.
The Wonder Sea was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members during a tour of Ha Long Bay, NPR reported, citing local outlets. Eight people are still missing, the outlet reported.
Tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, leaving at least 34 dead https://t.co/euNDujozBO pic.twitter.com/OqCiNRdX8P
— New York Post (@nypost) July 19, 2025
Eleven individuals were saved by rescue workers and the dead were recovered at a site near where the boat capsized, NPR reported, citing the VNExpress newspaper. The newspaper reported that the boat turned over due to strong winds.
The boat overturned around 1:30 p.m., local time and lost its GPS signal around 2:05 p.m., according to VNExpress. Authorities with local police, port authorities and the navy responded alongside 27 boats and two rescue crafts. (RELATED: Over 60 Migrants Dead After Vessel Capsizes In Libya)
Most of the passengers onboard the boat were from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and included traveling families, with over 20 children onboard. The youngest passenger was reportedly three-years-old.
Heavy rain and limited visibility with nightfall made rescue efforts difficult, the outlet reported. In an update from 9:00 p.m., local time, officials were unable to salvage the ship but recovered six additional bodies, bringing the death toll to 34.
A 10-year-old boy survived the incident and was taken to a hospital with multiple injuries, Le Ngoc Dung, director of Bai Chay Hospital told VNExpress. The child is now in stable condition.
Bui Cong Hoan, deputy head of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association told the outlet a 14-year-old boy survived after being trapped inside the sunken boat for four hours.
“Although the ship had overturned and the cabin doors were locked, there was still an air pocket about 50-60 cm wide [19.6 to 23.6 inches], enough for oxygen to get in, so the boy survived,” he told VNExpress.
The boy was rescued after a crew broke a window and brought him onto a rescue boat.
The ship was issued a certificate of technical safety and environmental protection for inland waterway vessels in January 2025, according to VNExpress. It was built in 2015 and is licensed to carry 48 passengers.
State broadcaster VTV conducted an interview with survivor Dang Thuy Linh, who is recovering at a hospital, CNN reported.
“I have lost contact with my son, my husband and my friend’s whole family,” she reportedly said.
“What I am asking now is for everyone to speed up the rescue mission, to save all of them,” Dang continued. “Please don’t let anyone behind on that boat. There is so little air left, there is a small chance of surviving.”
