Quang Ninh (VNA) – The Vinh Xanh 58 tourist boat was salvaged and towed ashore early July 20 for further investigation, after capsizing a day earlier in the northern province of Quang Ninh, leaving dozens dead.
The boat tipped over at 1:45 p.m. on July 19 near Ti Top Island in the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site due to a sudden thunderstorm, while carrying 48 tourists and five crew members.
A total of 47 people have been recovered, with ten survivors and 37 confirmed dead, including four victims whose identities are still being verified.
ꦺ Under orders from Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Quang Ninh deployed four large vessels and key personnel to assist with the salvage operation.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha (second, left) instructs the search and rescue operations. (Photo: VNA)
Alongside the salvage efforts, rescue teams worked through the night, expanding the search area to ensure no victims were left behind.
Colonel Nguyen Thuan, deputy police chief of Quang Ninh province, said the search teams remained deployed in 25 units to locate the remaining victims.
Late on July 19, local authorities visited victims undergoing emergency treatment and intensive care at the provincial General Hospital.
The province has initially provided financial support of 25 million VND (955 USD) per bereaved family and 8 million per injured survivor. It has also arranged accommodations and is covering all lodging and meal expenses for victims' families while they remain in the locality.
The Quang Ninh Fatherland Front Committee has also provided 5 million VND per deceased victim and 3 million per injured survivor. In a show of solidarity, several local businesses have contributed an additional 40 million VND for each fatality and 25 million for those injured.
After learning about the incident, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 19 issued an urgent dispatch, asking the Ministry of National Defence, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security and other relevant ministries, agencies, and local authorities, to mobilise all available personnel and resources operating near the area to carry out search and rescue operations as swiftly and effectively as possible.
Authorities were also requested to provide timely support for the victims’ families and to investigate the cause of the accident thoroughly, ensuring that any violations are strictly dealt with.
✱ The Government leader also ordered a comprehensive review of all maritime safety procedures, with immediate measures to address shortcomings and to guarantee absolute safety for vessels operating in the area./.
At around 1:30am on July 20, the tourist boat QN-7105, which capsized in Ha Long Bay on July 19, was lifted to the surface. During the salvage operation, rescue teams discovered three more victims inside the vessel. As of now, a total of 47 people have been involved in the search and rescue operation. Among them, 10 survivors have been rescued and 37 confirmed dead. The identities of four of the deceased are still being verified.
By 8:45 p.m., authorities had recovered 27 bodies from the boat capsize in Ha Long Bay, including eight children, and successfully rescued 11 survivors.
As of 6:00 pm, rescue teams had saved two more individuals from a tourist boat that sank in Ha Long Bay, bringing the total number of people rescued - both passengers and crew member - to 12. By 7:40 pm, the bodies of nine victims had been found. However, the exact number of people aboard at the time of sinking has yet to be confirmed.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed and issued Official Dispatch No. 114, urging urgent search and rescue operations and prompt measures to address the aftermath of the boat capsizing in Quang Ninh.
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Specifically, the ships will carry out patrols from 7am to 6pm daily along the main tourist routes in Ha Long Bay, with one ship permanently stationed at Ti Top island. From 6pm to 7am the following day, the mobile vessels return to Tuan Chau island to maintain a 24/7 on-call duty shift, ensuring constant readiness.
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