At least 37 dead after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam

Vietnamese authorities have raised the death toll to 37—including the captain —after a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. At least ten more people were rescued after the boat was towed.

The death toll has been updated after rescue and salvage teams managed to tow the vessel around midnight on Sunday , discovering the bodies of four more people, who have not yet been identified.

The accident, which occurred at around 12:55 p.m. (local time), was reportedly caused by strong winds in the area , according to the Vietnam Express news site.

Visit to the bay on the east coast

The Wonder Sea was carrying 48 tourists and five crew members through the tourist bay off Vietnam's northern east coast when it was caught in a storm . The vessel lost its GPS signal at around 2:05 p.m. local time, according to the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee.

Following the news, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued an "urgent" order to the Ministries of National Defense and Public Security, as well as relevant local agencies and authorities, to deploy all available personnel and resources to participate in the search and rescue operations, making them as swift and effective as possible.

Border guards, the navy, police, port officials, and 27 ships and two rescue boats have been mobilized, all coordinated by a command center. Divers are also searching the deck and interior of the ship, which are now submerged. Rescue operations have been hampered by heavy rain, which has affected visibility, although the sea is now calm.

In parallel, the provincial government has announced a grant of 25 million dong (around 820 euros) for each of the families who suffered a loss and compensation of 8 million dong (around 265 euros) for each of the injured survivors. It will also cover the accommodation and subsistence costs of the affected families during their stay in the town, the Vietnam News website reported.

One of the survivors is a ten-year-old boy who has been admitted to Bai Chay Hospital, according to the hospital's director, Le Ngoc Dung. The boy has multiple injuries but is conscious and his prognosis is stable.

Another survivor is a 14-year-old boy who spent four hours under the boat, taking advantage of the air bubble created by the capsize, according to Bui Cong Hoan, deputy director of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association. There was an oxygen reservoir about 50 centimeters deep, enough for the boy to breathe. Rescuers then broke one of the windows and were able to extract the child.

Ha Long Bay covers an area of approximately 1,500 square kilometers and is dotted with nearly 2,000 islets with high cliffs, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It welcomes millions of visitors each year.