Tragedy in Ha Long Bay: “Hailstones as Big as Toes” — 34 Dead as Tourist Boat Capsizes in Fierce Vietnam Storm

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam: A scenic cruise through one of the world’s most iconic bays ended in unimaginable tragedy on Saturday, when a tourist boat named Wonder Seas capsized amid a sudden, violent storm in Ha Long Bay, leaving 34 people dead and eight still missing.

The vessel, carrying 48 passengers and five crew members, was conducting a sightseeing tour in the famed UNESCO World Heritage Site when the skies abruptly darkened around 2:00 pm. Within minutes, the calm waters were whipped into chaos by a thunderstorm that witnesses described as “biblical.”

“Hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning,” one survivor told AFP, recounting the terrifying moments before the boat flipped over.

The weather turned so fierce that even experienced sailors were caught off guard. Wonder Seas was tossed by fierce gusts, and then overturned, trapping many passengers inside the cabin below deck.

A Grim Race Against Time

Emergency teams launched a massive rescue effort in the storm’s aftermath. 11 passengers were pulled to safety, including a 14-year-old boy who survived for nearly four hours trapped in the submerged hull of the boat. His dramatic rescue offered a fleeting moment of hope in a day filled with horror.

“Even though the ship overturned and the passenger compartment was locked, there was still a gap of about 50–60 cm, enough for oxygen to enter so the baby was still alive,” said Bui Cong Hoan, a member of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association, in a statement to VNExpress.

Rescue divers were able to reach the teen through a shattered window before lifting him to safety. Footage shared online shows several people clinging to the overturned hull in stormy waters, while others were hauled aboard rescue boats amidst crashing waves and wind.