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34 tourists killed after boat capsizes in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay

VB Desk,  International

VB Desk, International

At least 34 people died after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam during a thunderstorm on Saturday, state media announced. Eight 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.

A rescue team managed to save 11 people and recovered 27 bodies near the wreck site, including eight children. Initially, 12 survivors were reported, but that number was later revised.

According to the newspaper, most passengers were tourists from the capital, Hanoi, including 20 children. Among the rescued was a 14-year-old boy who survived after spending four hours trapped inside 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.

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