Hanoi: A tourist boat carrying over 50 people capsized in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay amid heavy rain, resulting in at least 34 fatalities and leaving several individuals missing. Most passengers onboard were families from Hanoi, including many children, according to local media. Rescue efforts are ongoing at the popular UNESCO World Heritage site.

According to France24.com, the vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized due to sudden heavy rain, as reported by the VNExpress news site. Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital, Hanoi, with over 20 children among the passengers.

“The sky turned dark at around 2 pm (0700 GMT),” a witness recounted. There were “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm, and lightning,” the witness added. A 10-year-old boy who was rescued described his experience to state media outlet VietnamNet, stating, “I took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat with soldiers.”

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and urged the defense and public security ministries to conduct an urgent search and rescue operation. Authorities plan to “investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations,” as noted in a statement on the government website.

The same storm system also brought torrential rain to northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday. In Hanoi, approximately 175 kilometers (110 miles) away, strong winds knocked down several trees. This storm followed three days of intense heat, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius in some areas.

Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, informed VNExpress that the thunderstorms in northern Vietnam were not caused by the influence of Tropical Storm Wipha in the South China Sea.

Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors to its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands annually. Last year, 30 vessels sank at boat lock areas in coastal Quang Ninh province along Ha Long Bay after Typhoon Yagi brought strong wind and waves.