Ha Long boat incident: death toll rises to 35, four remain missing

The Rescue team on Sunday morning salvaged the ill-fated tourist boat that capsized in Ha Long Bay Saturday afternoon, which has so far claimed the lives of 35 people.

From the 49 people on board, 10 survived and 35 were confirmed dead. Four others remain missing. Search and rescue efforts are still underway, with flycams deployed to assist.

According to the official information from Quang Ninh People's Committee, the Vinh Xanh 58 tourist boat, bearing registration number QN 48-7105, is a steel-hulled boat built in 2015, owned by Doan Van Trinh in Ha An Ward, Quang Ninh Province. 

It departed at 12.55pm on July 19 for a sightseeing route (Sung Sot Cave – Ti Top Island).

By 1.30pm, the vessel encountered sudden stormy weather and lost GPS signal at 2.05pm. Onboard were 46 tourists along with three crew members, revised down from the initial report of 48 tourists and five crew members.

The province mobilised nearly 1,000 personnel and over 100 vessels and boats from the Military Command, Border Guard, Police, Naval Region 1 Command, Coast Guard Region 1 Command, Fisheries Surveillance, Navy Special Forces, the Ha Long Bay Management Board, as well as strong support from local fishermen.

By 2am on 20 July, the Vinh Xanh 58 had been salvaged and towed ashore. Over the course of about 15 hours of search and rescue operations at sea – under the close direction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha and senior officials from central ministries and Quang Ninh Province – authorities located 45 of the 49 individuals aboard.

Deputy PM Ha has asked for all-out efforts to find all victims before the third typhoon to enter Vietnam's East Sea (South China Sea) this year, Wipha, starts to affect the coastal areas of the country.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting attributed the extreme weather to a convergence zone sweeping through the region, which, combined with three days of scorching temperatures, created unstable atmospheric conditions ripe for severe storms. 

Meteorologists classified the event as a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS), a sprawling complex of thunderstorms that can span hundreds of km and persist for up to 24 hours. 

The system brought heavy downpours, lightning, strong gusts, and scattered whirlwinds to the region. The circulation of typhoon Wipha had not yet directly affected the Gulf of Tonkin area.

The identities of 31 out of the 35 deceased have been confirmed. The four still missing are: Hoang Van Thai (born 1985), Hoang Viet Hung (born 1979), Hoang Thi Quyen (born 1975), and Nguyen Duy Khai Phong (born 2019). 

Search efforts have been expanded by about 9km and divided into several units, with a strong commitment to finding all the missing victims.

Quang Ninh authorities have since ordered a maritime suspension, banning vessels from departing ports in preparation for Typhoon Wipha.

Accordingly, from July 20, all tourist boats operating in Hạ Long Bay, Quảng Ninh Province, as well as passenger transport vessels on island routes and between islands, will temporarily cease receiving port departure permits to ensure the absolute safety of passengers, crew, and vessels.

In the immediate aftermath, the province has provided financial support for victims, including VNĐ25 million (approx. US$995) per deceased for funeral expenses, and VNĐ5 million per injured survivor. The province is also covering all accommodation and meal costs for victims’ families staying in Quang Ninh.

Currently, 22 hotels in Ha Long are offering free rooms and meals to relatives of the victims who have travelled to the province to identify and search for their loved ones.

By Sunday morning, authorities had completed the necessary procedures and handed over the bodies of 30 deceased victims to their families for transport home for burial. Quảng Ninh Province provided financial assistance and transport for the families to bring their loved ones back to their hometowns. 

Viet Nam News

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