At least 27 people died on Saturday after a 53-passenger tourist boat capsized due to inclement weather at Vietnam's Ha Long Bay.
The boat—identified as the Vinh Xanh 58—had been carrying 48 Vietnamese tourists and five crew members when it tipped over at 2 PM local time (12:30PM IST) near the Dau Go Cave, a popular tourist destination in the country, a Vietnam News Agency report said.
Rescue teams comprising local authorities and fishermen in the area were immediately mobilised. They worked throughout the day, using all available personnel and equipment, and found 11 survivors and recovered 27 bodies—of which 8 were children.
The report added that a sudden thunderstorm (unrelated to the incoming Typhoon Wipha approaching the country via the South China Sea) swept through the area, causing the vessel to sink. Air travel in the region has been temporarily disrupted.
There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", an eyewitness declared, as per an AFP report.
Typhoon Wipha, the third to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to make landfall along Vietnam's Northern coast early next week, a Reuters report said.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued an official dispatch, directing immediate action. He also sent his condolences to the families of the dead.
In that regard, authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident and have promised to "strictly handle violations", a government statement said, as per a Viet Nam News report. Rescue efforts will also continue into the night.
The Ha Long Bay, which was twice designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and 2000, comprises 1,133 tiny islets and islands, attracting millions of tourists.
