A Vietnamese man has described his desperate escape from a capsized tour boat in Ha Long Bay, an incident that has tragically claimed the lives of at least 35 people, with a further four still unaccounted for.
Authorities have corrected earlier reports, confirming the revised death toll and missing persons count.
The vessel, named the Wonder Sea, had departed early on Saturday afternoon for a three-hour excursion in the popular tourist destination, carrying 46 passengers and three crew members.
However, the weather quickly deteriorated, with high winds and torrential rain engulfing the area, survivor Dang Anh Tuan told The Associated Press.
Mr Tuan recounted how passengers pleaded for the boat to turn back to shore, but the crew reportedly reassured them they were nearing their destination and continued the journey.
A search operation remains underway for the missing individuals.
“It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously, tables and chairs were jostled around and seconds later the boat overturned,” the 36-year-old fire extinguisher salesman said. “Water gushed in and I lost all orientation.”
“I tried to breathe. But more water came in. I took a deep breath, got rid of my life vest and dove down. I saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out, escaping the boat, and then I climbed on the overturned boat to look for help,” he said.
Tuan and several other people survived by clinging to the capsized boat and its propellers, waiting another two hours before the rain stopped and rescuers arrived.
The Wonder Sea boat was later seen being towed to a shipyard for investigation, with most of its windows shattered, and damage to its roof and handrails. Police and other officials are seen on the boat working.
Rescue workers recovered 11 survivors, but one later died in hospital due to injuries, VNExpress newspaper said.
The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was rescued after four hours trapped in the overturned hull.
The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children.
Tuan was a holiday with 11 university friends, only three of whom survived.
