34 dead in Vietnam tourist boat capsize
A tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam's Ha Long Bay capsized in a storm on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 34 people dead, according to state media reports, as rescuers scrambled to locate the missing.
The vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized in the UNESCO World Heritage site because of sudden heavy rain, the VNExpress news site said.
Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, it said.
"Border guards rescued 11 people and recovered 34 bodies," it added.
Rescue efforts were set to continue into the night to find the eight still missing.
Ha Long Bay office worker Tran Trong Hung told AFP the storm started in the afternoon.
"The sky turned dark at around 2 pm (0700 GMT)," he said.
There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", he said.
One of the rescued, a 10-year-old boy, told state media outlet VietnamNet: "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 sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and called on the defense and public security ministries to conduct urgent search and rescue.
Authorities would "investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations", a statement on the government website said.
Torrential rain also lashed northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday.
In the capital about 175 kilometres (110 miles) away, several trees were knocked down by strong winds.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Heatwave grips in Lahore, monsoon brings rain, flood risks to other regions
A laborer carries sacks of onions while wading through a flooded street after heavy monsoon rains in Lahore on July 16, 2025. Photo: AFP A heatwave and rising humidity have intensified across Lahore and much of Punjab, with dry conditions persisting in most areas. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast a maximum temperature of 34°C and a minimum of 27°C for Lahore as the city experiences elevated temperatures. Although a new monsoon system is expected to enter Pakistan today, Lahore is unlikely to see significant rainfall in immediate days. The fourth monsoon spell is anticipated to be stronger than previous ones and will bring thundershowers, wind, and rain to various regions, including Rawalpindi, Murree, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and parts of southern Punjab. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued an alert for the risk of heavy rainfall and flooding from July 20 to 25, urging local authorities to remain vigilant. River levels in the Ravi, Jhelum, Sutlej, and Chenab are expected to rise, and medium-level flooding is already being reported in the Indus River. To manage the potential impact, provincial agencies such as WASA, LWMC, and local municipalities have mobilised emergency measures to handle flood risks, and authorities have enforced Section 144 around rivers and streams to ensure public safety. Other parts of the country, including Kashmir, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, North-East Punjab, the Potohar region, Gilgit-Baltistan, North-East and South Balochistan, and South Sindh, are expected to experience rain, wind, and thundershowers over the next twelve hours. In contrast, hot and humid weather will continue to dominate in the rest of the country. Temperatures this morning were recorded in major cities as follows: Islamabad at 28°C, Lahore and Karachi both at 29°C, Peshawar at 30°C, Quetta at 22°C, Gilgit at 24°C, Murree at 17°C, and Muzaffarabad at 25°C. The PDMA has urged the public to stay updated with weather forecasts and follow safety protocols, particularly in flood-prone areas, as rainfall and river rises could pose significant flood risks over the next few days.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
Corn dips but US heat concerns limit losses
CANBERRA: Chicago corn futures fell on Monday after a short-covering rally lifted prices by 3.8% last week, with traders balancing concerns that hot weather will shrink U.S. yields against an overall picture of plentiful supply. Wheat futures gave back some of Friday's gains and soybeans were down for the first time in four trading sessions as soyoil prices dipped from two-year highs. The most active corn contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was down 0.4% at $4.26 a bushel by 0245 GMT, with CBOT soybeans falling 0.6% to $10.29-1/4 a bushel and wheat 0.4% lower at $5.44 a bushel. All three contracts remain close to multi-month or multi-year lows due to ample supply, but traders fear that forecast heat in the United States could damage corn and soybean production. Around 7% of global corn supply now faces weather-related threats, including parts of the U.S., Ukraine and Russia, said Tobin Gorey, founder of Cornucopia, a consultancy. 'The coarse grain market has substantial weather worries for the first time this northern summer,' he said. '(These) worries are large enough to lift prices, and likely started to do so last week.' U.S. biofuel policy meanwhile means more soybeans are likely to be crushed for soyoil feedstock, and the wind-down of the U.S. winter wheat harvest is easing downward pressure on wheat. Commodity funds were net buyers of CBOT corn, soybeans and wheat last week, according to traders. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will issue a weekly update on U.S. crop conditions on Monday. In France, farmers made more swift progress in harvesting wheat last week but maize field conditions deteriorated further, farm office FranceAgriMer said.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
South Korea rain death toll hits 17, with 11 missing
Cars damaged by floodwater are seen on a road along the river due to heavy rain in Gapyeong county. Photo: AFP Heavy rain in South Korea has killed at least 17 people in recent days, government records showed Sunday, while 11 remain unaccounted for in the intense downpours. South Korea typically experiences monsoon rains in July and is usually well-prepared. But this week, the country's southern regions were hit with some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record, according to official data. There was also a dangerous deluge in the north early Sunday, with close to 170 millimetres (6.7 inches) of rain hitting Gapyeong county in Gyeonggi province, east of the capital Seoul, leaving at least two dead and five missing. The number of casualties rose throughout the day as bodies of those previously reported missing — many swept away in landslides — were recovered. A woman in her 70s was killed when her house collapsed in a landslide, while the body of a man in his 40s was found near a bridge after he drowned, Yonhap news agency reported. The total number of deaths from the five-day deluge now stands at at least 17, with 11 missing, according to interior ministry data as of Sunday evening. Most of the deaths occurred in the southern county of Sancheong, which has seen nearly 800 millimetres of rain since Wednesday. With the bodies of those who had gone missing retrieved on Sunday, the number of deaths in the rural county of 33,000 rose to 10, with four still unaccounted for. Scientists say climate change has made extreme weather events more frequent and intense around the world. In 2022, South Korea endured record-breaking rains and flooding, which killed at least 11 people. They included three people who died trapped in a Seoul basement apartment of the kind that became internationally known because of the Oscar-winning Korean film "Parasite". The government said at the time that the rainfall was the heaviest since records began, blaming climate change for the extreme weather.
