Capsizing of the Wonder Sea

On 19 July 2025, the tourist boat Wonder Sea capsized due to high winds during an abrupt thunderstorm in Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam, killing 39 people, while 10 people were rescued with non-fatal injuries. The incident took place during a tour, and a rescue operation began after contact with the ship was lost. It was reported as the deadliest naval accident in Vietnam in over 20 years.^[1]

Capsizing of the Wonder Sea

Date	19 July 2025 (2025-07-19)
Time	13:30 ICT (UTC+7)
Location	Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam
Coordinates	20.8733°N 107.0750°E / 20.8733; 107.0750
Cause	Undetermined; ascribed to thunderstorm
Deaths	39
Non-fatal injuries	10

Background

The Wonder Sea, also known as Vịnh Xanh 58 (Vietnamese pronunciation: [vïŋ˧˨ʔ sajŋ̟˧˧ nam˧˧ mɨəj˨˩ taːm˧˦]; lit. 'Blue Bay 58') is a 24-metre (79-foot)^[2] inland waterway vessel specializing in tourism services in Hạ Long Bay, Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam. It was officially registered by the Quảng Ninh Department of Transport on 21 May 2015.

According to regulations, the vessel was permitted to carry a maximum of 48 passengers. It was issued a Certificate of Technical Safety and Environmental Protection by the Quảng Ninh Inland Waterway Registration Station, with the most recent inspection conducted on 10 January 2025.^[3]

Incident

At approximately 12:55 ICT (UTC+7) on 19 July 2025, the Wonder Sea, with registration number QN-7105,^[4][5] set off on a sightseeing tour in Hạ Long Bay, carrying 46 passengers and 3 crew members.^[6] According to the planned itinerary, captain and owner Đoàn Văn Trình was to take the passengers to several prominent landmarks in the bay, including Chó Đá Islet, Đỉnh Huơng Islet, Gà Chọi Islet, Sửng Sốt Cave, Luồn Cave and Ti Tốp Island [vi]. The standard duration of the tour is approximately six hours, covering a total distance of around 35 kilometres (22 miles).^[7]

At around 13:30, as the vessel was passing east of Đầu Gỗ Cave, gusts of wind and heavy rain from a flash thunderstorm befell the ship. According to a survivor, passengers had asked the crew to return to shore, but the crew reassured them they were almost at their destination and kept going.^[8] The storm eventually caused the ship to capsize, and contact with it was lost.^[9][10] The storm preceded the arrival of Tropical Storm Wipha;^[11] Mai Văn Khiêm, the director of the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, said that the two storms were not related.^[12][10] The passengers were all Vietnamese and consisted mostly of families from Hanoi.^[12][10]

Rescue

Upon receiving reports of the sinking, Quảng Ninh's provincial authorities launched a rescue operation, mobilising military units, border guards, waterway police, naval special forces, and local search and rescue teams, along with dozens of rescue vessels and fishermen. The location of the accident was approximately 3 kilometres (2 nautical miles) offshore and weather conditions made access to the site difficult.^[13]

Four other survivors clung to a floating wooden chair for hours before three of them were rescued; a man drowned after losing strength. One survivor recounted:

A few minutes later, three other men also surfaced and held onto a chair, thinking of a way to swim ashore. But after about 15 minutes, a man about 40 years old grew exhausted and let his hand go—perhaps he was too tired after diving out from inside the boat. He said, "Farewell, brothers, I'm going," then let go and slowly sank under the water. His final words and the look of despair in his eyes still haunt me.^[14]

Other survivors described diving underwater to rescue other passengers lost admist the capsizing. One guided several to safety, including his mother, but lost his girlfriend, who drowned before he could rescue her.^[15]

By 17:00 on 19 July, 10 people were rescued; seven by border guards and three by local fishermen. The number of initial survivors rose to 12, of whom 2 died later after being hospitalized, while the death toll reached 28, including 8 children.^[16] At around 18:00, a 10-year-old boy was rescued by emergency teams. According to his account, after the boat capsized, he took shelter in an air pocket inside the boat, making his way out later.^[17]

In the early hours of 20 July, the authorities began righting the vessel to aid the search for missing victims. The ship was righted by 02:00, after which four cranes lifted it fully above the waterline. Water was pumped from the hull, and four additional bodies were discovered inside, one of which was confirmed to be Trình, the captain. By that point, a total of 10 people had been rescued, 35 bodies were recovered, and 4 people remained missing.^[18] The boat was then towed to shore.^[4] The bodies of the four remaining missing passengers were found between 21 and 26 July.^{[19][20][21][22]}

Aftermath

According to the People's Committee of Quảng Ninh province, 49 people had boarded the ship, including 46 passengers and three crew members.^[6] The ship had met all safety requirements and was last inspected in January 2025. The number of people onboard did not exceed the limit required.^[16]

Vietnamese prime minister Phạm Minh Chính extended his condolences to the affected families. He also directed defense and public security units to accelerate rescue efforts. He urged a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident and pledged to take firm action against any wrongdoing.^[10]

Quảng Ninh province pledged ₫25 million (US$956) to each family of the deceased and ₫8 million (US$306) for the injured. The Fatherland Front Committee provided ₫5 million (US$191) to families of the deceased and ₫3 million (US$115) to families of the injured, while local businesses donated up to ₫40 million (US$1,530).^[4]

The deputy director of the Department of Construction, Bùi Hồng Minh, said, "During the salvage process, we found that 80–90% of the victims brought out of the ship were wearing life jackets. This means that the captain had previously warned passengers wearing life jackets to be ready to respond to adverse situations."^[13]

In the weeks after the sinking, ship owners reported an 80% decrease in tour boat bookings in Hạ Long Bay.^[1]