The death toll from the sinking of a tourist boat in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, has reached 38, with the number continuing to rise as several people remain missing. The boat, carrying 48 tourists and 5 crew members, capsized on Saturday afternoon (July 29, 2025), in one of the worst maritime tragedies in recent years in this popular tourist area.
Read: Tragedy in Vietnam: At least 38 dead from tourist boat sinking in Ha Long Bay
“The death of at least 38 of those aboard the boat has been confirmed, while 10 have been rescued,” the government clarified in its statement. Vietnam’s official news agency, the Vietnam News Agency, reported that all tourists aboard the boat were Vietnamese, including children. Dozens of rescuers, including border guards, naval personnel, police, and professional divers, are participating in rescue operations. Although the sea has calmed, weather conditions are limiting visibility, making the rescuers’ work difficult.
Vietnam: The shocking moment the boat sinks
The moment the boat sinks is shocking. The small vessel, battered by the storm, begins to list until it overturns and sinks. They have managed to recover the boat, according to the government. The accident occurred yesterday, Saturday, around 2:00 PM local time (10:00 AM Greek time) shortly after Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea.
🚨 Storm Hits Vietnam – 28 Dead as Boat Capsizes in Ha Long Bay
A powerful storm sweep through Vietnam has caused a deadly boat accident in Ha Long Bay.
The vessel, carrying 48 tourists and 5 crew members, capsized amid turbulent conditions.
Among those onboard were many… pic.twitter.com/TmJ5IFhCFE
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) July 19, 2025
Authorities reported strong winds, torrential rain, and lightning in the area when the accident occurred, adding that weather conditions had not yet been affected by the approaching typhoon, but were due to local weather phenomena in northern Vietnam.
In Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, a passenger boat carrying 48 passengers and 5 crew members capsized during todays storm. Rescue teams, including the Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard, saved 12 people and recovered 3 bodies by 6:00pm. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. pic.twitter.com/ERJ1Eoptn8
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) July 19, 2025
Ha Long Bay, approximately 200 kilometers northeast of Hanoi, attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually. Boat tours are particularly popular in this bay. In 2011, twelve people, including foreign tourists, lost their lives when a tourist boat sank in Ha Long Bay. Typhoon Wipha, the third to hit the South China Sea this year, is expected to make landfall along Vietnam’s northern coast early this week.
A tourist boat with 53 people capsized in #Vietnam‘s Halong Bay on Saturday amid Storm Wipha, killing three, state media reported.
The accident occurred around 2 p.m. local time during strong winds and heavy rain. Rescuers found 12 survivors and recovered three bodies. pic.twitter.com/9PMQAEZ2pA
— The Bharat Current (@thbharatcurrent) July 19, 2025
