HCMC – Authorities in Quang Ninh Province are intensifying search efforts for four missing people after a tourist boat capsized in Halong Bay during a squall, as Storm Wipha approaches the coast of northern Vietnam.
At a press briefing on July 20, Colonel Hoang Van Thuyet, political commissar of the Quang Ninh Military Command, said over 1,000 personnel and more than 100 vessels have been mobilized for search and rescue operations. This includes over 500 local fishermen familiar with the bay’s waterways, reported the local media.
The accident occurred at 1:45 p.m. on July 19 when the Vinh Xanh 58 tourist boat, operating on tour route No. 2, capsized near Dau Go Cave due to a sudden squall. All passengers and crew were thrown overboard.
According to the provincial police, the vessel was carrying 49 people at the time, including 46 tourists, one captain, and two crew members. This count is two fewer passengers and two fewer crew than initially reported to port authorities before departure.
So far, 45 people have been accounted for, including 10 survivors and 35 confirmed fatalities. Four individuals remain missing.
Quang Ninh authorities said search operations would continue through the night of July 20, with alternating shifts to maximize chances of locating the remaining victims before weather conditions worsen.
Rescue teams successfully salvaged the sunken boat by 1:40 a.m. on July 20.
The Quang Ninh Department of Health dispatched 12 emergency response teams to key locations to receive victims. Bai Chay Hospital admitted one person, who has since been transferred to the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi City. Quang Ninh General Hospital received nine people, one of whom left to arrange funeral services. All medical treatment and services were provided free of charge.
The Health Department also arranged 31 ambulances to assist families in transporting the deceased to their hometowns.
Hanoi’s Fatherland Front Committee confirmed that 17 of the deceased and one injured victim were from the capital city.
As the storm nears, authorities are maintaining a force of 250 personnel and 22 vehicles—including three ships, 12 boats, and five trucks—for storm preparedness and ongoing disaster response.
