According to official media reports, a tourist boat carrying 53 people, including 5 crew members, capsized in Halong Bay, Vietnam on Saturday, July 19, resulting in at least 8 deaths and several people going missing.
The incident occurred around 1:45 pm local time on Saturday, just after the storm named “Wipha” entered the South China Sea, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning to the region.
The vessel involved was a tourist boat with the registration number QN-7105. Police forces and rescue boats have been deployed to the scene. While the strong winds have subsided, heavy rain continues and nighttime visibility is limited.
According to the Vietnam News Agency, as of Saturday evening at 6 pm, 12 people have been rescued (including tourists and crew members), and rescue teams have recovered 8 bodies of those who perished. Currently, the search and rescue operations are still ongoing in an organized and tense manner.
Authorities have not disclosed detailed information about the tourists and their nationalities, as rescue efforts continue.
Halong Bay is located approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) northeast of the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, attracting tens of thousands of tourists annually, many of whom embark on overnight cruises.
The storm “Wipha” marks the third typhoon to affect the South China Sea region this year and is expected to make landfall on the northern coast of Vietnam early next week.
The weather disturbances caused by the storm have also affected air travel. Noi Bai Airport reported that due to severe weather conditions, nine incoming flights were diverted to alternate airports, and three outgoing flights were temporarily grounded.