Tourist boat capsizes during a storm in Vietnam, leaving 37 dead. 5 remain missing

This image from a video provided by QDND shows people on a capsized tourist boat being rescued in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, July 19, 2025

A boat carrying tourists capsized during a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam on Saturday afternoon during a sightseeing excursion, killing 37 people, state media reported. Five others remain missing.

The Wonder Sea boat was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members — all of them Vietnamese — on a tour of Ha Long Bay, a popular destination, according to the reports.

Rescue workers saved 11 people, and recovered the dead near the site of the capsizing, VNExpress newspaper said. Authorities revised the figure after earlier reporting that 12 people had been rescued.

The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was rescued after four hours trapped in the overturned hull.

The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists, from Hanoi, including about 20 children.

A tropical storm is also moving toward the area. A national weather forecast said that Storm Wipha is expected to hit Vietnam’s northern region next week, including Ha Long Bay’s coast.

Rescuers found four more bodies of people, who drowned when a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay of the South China Sea, off Vietnam’s northern coast, the VTC news portal reported.

By midnight GMT, the crisis response center said five people are still listed as missing.

The search and rescue effort continued despite unfavorable weather conditions, strong winds and heavy rain. Around a thousand people, including 30 divers, are taking part in the recovery effort.