At least 35 people died after the tourist boat Wonder Sea capsized during a violent thunderstorm in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, on July 19, 2025. The vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members during a sightseeing excursion when sudden, severe weather struck the popular tourist destination.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time when strong winds and torrential rain caused the boat to overturn near Dau Go Cave. An eyewitness described conditions that included hailstones as large as toes with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning as the sky darkened around the area.
Rescue operations deployed 27 boats and two rescue crafts involving border guards, navy units, police, and port authorities. Emergency responders saved 11 people and recovered 34 bodies at the capsizing site, though one survivor later died in the hospital due to injuries. The death toll included at least eight children, with victims ranging in age from three to 54 years old.
Among the survivors was a 14-year-old boy who remained trapped for four hours in the overturned hull before rescue teams could extract him. Bui Cong Hoan, deputy head of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association, explained that “although the ship had overturned and the cabin doors were locked, there was still an air pocket about 50-60 cm wide.” Rescuers broke a window to pull the teenager to safety.
A 10-year-old boy also survived the disaster and described his escape to state media, indicating he took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dove down, and then swam up before shouting for help and being pulled onto a rescue boat by soldiers. The child was treated at Bai Chay Hospital and reported to be in stable condition.
Most passengers aboard the Wonder Sea were tourists from Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, with approximately 20 children among the group. All individuals on the vessel were Vietnamese nationals. The boat had departed from Ha Long International Passenger Port in Bai Chay Ward at around 1:30 p.m. local time for what was planned as a three-hour tour along Route 2 of Ha Long Bay.
Survivor Dang Anh Tuan, a 36-year-old fire extinguisher salesman, recounted that passengers requested the boat return to shore when the storm intensified, but crew members reassured them they were nearly at their destination and continued forward. Tuan described how the boat began shaking violently, with tables and chairs being jostled around, before it overturned within seconds as water gushed in.
Tuan and several others survived by clinging to the capsized boat and its propellers for approximately two hours until the rain stopped and rescuers arrived. He was traveling with 11 university friends, but only three from their group survived. The other nine members were killed, including one friend who was traveling with his wife and three-year-old son, both of whom also drowned.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended condolences to the families of the deceased and directed the defense and public security ministries to conduct urgent search and rescue operations. Government officials stated authorities would investigate and clarify the cause of the incident while strictly handling any violations discovered.
The State Department confirmed it was aware of the incident and was working to determine if any U.S. citizens were affected, though initial reports indicated no Americans were aboard the vessel. Officials stated they were prepared to provide consular assistance if required.
Ha Long Bay, located in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam, serves as one of the country’s most iconic natural landmarks and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The bay features more than 1,600 limestone islands and islets, with the name “Ha Long” meaning “Descending Dragon” according to local folklore that describes the islands as formed by a dragon’s tail crashing into the sea.
Weather conditions in the region were further complicated by the approach of Tropical Storm Wipha, which was moving toward Vietnam’s northern coast. The storm, the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea in 2025, was expected to make landfall early the following week. However, meteorological officials clarified that the capsizing incident was caused by local thunderstorms rather than the approaching tropical system.
The disaster prompted concerns about maritime safety in the popular tourist destination, which attracts millions of visitors annually to its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone formations. Boat tours represent a significant component of the region’s tourism industry.
