The Shiro Copr , Jakarta -Boat carrying tourists overturned in Ha Long Bay , Vietnam On Saturday, July 19, 2025. A total of 38 people died and 11 people survived. The rescue team continues to search for victims.
The Wonder Sea ship was reported to have carried 53 people, including five crew members. The ship capsized due to strong winds in Ha Long Bay. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon around 14:00 local time. According to a report by the Vietnam News Agency, among the eight dead victims were children.
Survivor Story
A man who survived recounted the moments when the ship he was on sank in Ha Long Bay. Dang Anh Tuan, 36, was on vacation with 11 of his university classmates when the Wonder Sea capsized during a tour in the middle of an unexpected thunderstorm.
Dang told how he survived by swimming out through a window underwater. Only three people from his group survived, while nine others, including a man traveling with his wife and three-year-old son, were among at least 38 people who died.
Another 10 people are still missing from the ship carrying 48 passengers and five crew members. According to state media cited by Sky News, all the passengers are Vietnamese citizens.
Dang said the storm quickly covered the sky, causing strong winds and heavy rain, as the ship began its three-hour journey. The passengers asked the ship to return to the shore, but the crew assured them that they were almost at their destination and continued moving forward.
"The boat capsized in less than a minute. It rained for about 15 minutes, then the boat started shaking violently, the table and chairs shook, and a few seconds later, the boat overturned," he said.
"Water gushed in and I lost my sense of direction. I tried to breathe, but more water entered. I took a deep breath, removed the life jacket, and dived. I saw a beam of light and followed it to swim out, escaping from the boat. Then I climbed onto the overturned boat to seek help," he said.
Dang was rescued by holding onto the upturned boat and its propeller. He waited for two hours until the rain stopped and the rescue officers arrived.
They rescued 11 people, including a 14-year-old boy who was trapped for four hours in the belly of the overturned ship. One of the survivors died in the hospital, according to VNExpress newspaper.
The newspaper said most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children. The boat overturned because of strong winds.
Another surviving passenger, Dang Thuy Linh, said her family and friends are still missing. "My husband, my children, my friend, and their families are still missing. I hope they are all rescued soon," she said.
Do not leave anyone in the boat. The air is getting thinner and the hope of survival is getting thinner.
Sunk by Typhoon Wipha
The event occurred not long after the arrival of Typhoon Wipha in the South China Sea, which brought strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning to the area.
The storm mentioned by name is the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year. The storm is expected to hit the mainland along the northern coast of Vietnam early next week. Disruptions related to the storm have also affected air travel, according to Noi Bai Airport.
The airport reported that nine incoming flights were diverted to other airports, while three outgoing flights were canceled temporarily due to bad weather.
The wind brought by Typhoon Wipha reached speeds of up to 101 km/h and gusts of up to 126 km/h as it passed southern Taiwan on Saturday, according to the island's central news agency.
Ha Long Bay is located about 200 kilometers northeast of Hanoi and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. Among those visiting Ha Long Bay, many choose to take a night boat tour to explore the area further.
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