A boat full of tourists capsized during a storm in one of the country's most iconic tourist destinations, leaving at least 37 dead and five missing. Rescue efforts continue as a new tropical storm approaches.
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At least 37 people died after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam during a thunderstorm on Saturday, state media announced. Five people are reportedly still missing.
The boat, called The Wonder Sea, was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members, all Vietnamese nationals. They had been on a sightseeing excursion of Ha Long Bay, one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, when a sudden storm with strong winds turned the vessel upside down.
According to the newspaper VNExpress, a rescue team managed to save 11 people and recovered 27 bodies, eight of them children, in the vicinity of the wreck. Initially, 12 survivors had been reported, but the figure was later corrected.
The newspaper reported that most of the passengers, including 20 children, were tourists from the capital Hanoi. Among those rescued was a 14-year-old boy, who was found alive after spending four hours trapped in the upside-down hull of the boat.
The tragedy comes just as a new tropical storm, named Wipha, heads towards northern Vietnam. The storm marks the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year, is expected to make landfall at the start of next week.
The national meteorological centre has warned that the coastal region of Ha Long Bay could be significantly impacted, which would further complicate search and rescue operations.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to thousands of limestone islands and islets and is known for its emerald waters. The tourist spot attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.