The ship was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed bay due to sudden heavy rain, the Dan Tri website reported.

Most of the passengers were families traveling from the capital Hanoi, and more than 20 children were among the passengers, according to the news website VNExpress.

Boat capsizes in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay: 53 people on board

The vessel Wonder Sea overturned due to a thunderstorm and strong winds. At least 34 people have died, while 11 have been rescued.

One of the survivors — a 10-year-old boy — was pulled out of a flooded cabin after four… pic.twitter.com/HVvrcDVWPi

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 19, 2025

Border guards rescued 12 people and recovered 34 bodies, reports"VNExpress".

Rescue operations are expected to continue at night to find the missing people.

The storm began after three days of heatwaves, when temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius in some areas.

By 8:45pm July 19, authorities had recovered 27 bodies, including 8 children, and rescued 11 people, as a large-scale search and rescue operation is underway in Hạ Long Bay after a tourist boat capsized due to a sudden storm (not related to the incoming Typhoon Wipha).

— Việt Nam News (@VietnamNewsVNS) July 19, 2025

Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, with millions of people visiting its blue-green waters and rainforest-covered limestone islands every year.