>> List of passengers on board in the Halong Bay accident
>> Tourist boat sinks in Vietnam bay, 12 die
An accident in Ha Long Bay, which killed twelve people, was caused by the ships hull suddenly giving way.
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| Scene of the accident |
Senior Lieutenant – Colonel Phi Van Minh, head of Ha Long City Police Department, said that according to statements by members of the crew, the bottom of the ship "suddenly broke", which resulted in the accident.
Authorities in northern Quang Ninh province found 12 bodies in wreckage near Titov Island, including 10 foreigners.
As many as 15 other people luckily sescaped, Minh told DTiNews.
The ship, registered as QN5198 and belonged to Truong Hai Co., Ltd., went down at 5am today morning [February 17] while it was carrying 27 people, including six crew members, Minh said.
Do Thong, Vice Chairman of Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Commitee said 19 of the passengers were foreigners, from 11 countries such as Australia, Britain, and the U.S. Only two were Vietnamese. All of the passengers were sleeping at the time.
Local police are investigating the case to find out the exact cause of the accident.
Vu Van Thin, chief administrator of Quang Ninh Province said, “Crew members tried to stop the water from coming in and alerted the tourists who were sleeping, but the water came in and the boat sank quickly.”
According to AAP newswires, this is the fourth accident in the bay since 2002. The last occurred in 2009 when a tour boat sank during a storm on the bay, killing five, including three foreign tourists.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its striking limestone formations, is one of Vietnam\'s most popular tourism attractions.
It is located near the Chinese border in the Gulf of Tonkin, about three hours east of the capital, Hanoi. Many visitors opt to stay overnight on boats with sleeping cabins to cruise the picturesque bay.