At least 27 people have lost their lives and dozens remain unaccounted for after a tourist boat carrying more than 50 individuals capsized in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, according to state media reports.
The boat, which had 48 passengers and five crew members on board, overturned on Saturday due to a sudden downpour while navigating the UNESCO World Heritage site, as reported by Dan Tri news outlet.
VNExpress stated that border guards were able to rescue 12 individuals.
Most of the passengers were families from the capital, Hanoi, and the group included over 20 children, VNExpress added.
Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s top tourist attractions, drawing millions of visitors each year with its emerald waters and towering limestone islands covered in rainforest.
In a related incident last year, 30 vessels sank in docking areas along the coast of Quang Ninh province, where Ha Long Bay is located, after strong winds and waves from Typhoon Yagi battered the region.
