”A cruise boat with 53 people on board capsized in Ha Long Bay in the province of Quang Ninh on Sunday afternoon in strong winds. The authorities confirm that 11 people have been rescued and that 34 bodies have been recovered so far”, writes the Vietnamese news site VNExpress.
Of the 53 people who were on board the boat, 48 were passengers, of which at least 20 were children, and five were crew members. According to state media, the majority of the passengers were families visiting from the capital Hanoi.
Bad weather hit the area
The accident occurred around 2 pm local time, shortly after bad weather moved in over the area with strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning. However, the bad weather is said to have subsided somewhat as the rescue efforts got underway on the site.
The Swedish embassy in Hanoi is also warning about the typhoon Wipha.
”It may bring heavy rain, flooding and landslides in northern and central Vietnam. Swedish citizens in the area are urged to follow instructions from local authorities and to always follow the development of events through local authorities", writes the embassy on the site Sweden Abroad.
Mai Van Jhiem, head of Vietnam's National Meteorological and Hydrological Center, says, however, that the bad weather that has moved in over the country's northern parts was not caused by the typhoon Wipha, writes VNExpress.
The Prime Minister sends condolences
Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and urged the defense and security departments to carry out urgent search and rescue operations.
On the government's website, they write that the cause of the incident will be investigated by the authorities.
Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, and millions of people from around the world visit the place every year.
