A tourist boat capsized during a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam on Saturday afternoon during a sightseeing excursion, killing at least 34 people and prompting a search for others who remain missing, state media reported.
The Wonder Sea boat was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members — all of them Vietnamese — during the tour of Ha Long Bay, a popular destination for visitors, according to the reports.
Rescue workers saved 11 people, and recovered the dead near the site of the capsizing, VNExpress newspaper said. Eight people remain missing. Authorities had earlier reported that 12 people had been rescued, but later revised the figure to 11.
The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was among the survivors, and he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull.
The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists, including about 20 children, from Hanoi, the country’s capital.
A tropical storm is also moving toward the area. A national weather forecast said that Tropical storm Wipha is expected to hit Vietnam’s northern region, including Ha Long Bay’s coast next week.
Last year, a tour boat in Egypt sank during a Red Sea diving trip, leaving over half a dozen missing.