At least 3 dead after tourist boat with 53 people on board capsizes in Vietnam as rescuers scramble to find survivors

At least 3 dead after tourist boat with 53 people on board capsizes in Vietnam as rescuers scramble to find survivors

AT least three people have died after a tourist boat capsized in a popular Vietnam beauty spot.

The boat had 53 people – including five crew members – on board for a tour of Halong Bay when a “sudden gust of wind” flipped the vessel.

Passengers being rescued from a sinking boat.

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The boat had 53 people – including five crew members – on boardCredit: VNA/VNS Photo
Rescue workers assisting people from a capsized boat.

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Several bodies have been recovered so far after the tourist boat capsizedCredit: VNA/VNS Photo

Rescue teams have found 12 survivors and recovered three bodies so far – with 38 still missing, the People’s Army Newspaper said.

Pictures from the scene show stormy skies as rescue boats surround the capsized vessel – with divers in the water scrambling to find survivors.

It’s understood at least three tourists were rescued by a passing boat.

Authorities have not yet shared details about the nationalities of the tourists – and rescue operations are ongoing.

The boat overturned near Dau Go Cave around 1.45pm local time – with many families and children on board, according to VN Express.

It came shortly after Storm Wipha hit the South China Sea, battering the area with strong winds, heavy rainfall, and lightning.

It’s the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year – and it was set to make landfall along Vietnam’s northern coast early next week.

Halong Bay – situated 125 miles northeast of Hanoi – is dotted with nearly 2,000 islands and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Many companies offer overnight boat tours in the area.

This is a developing story…

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