A tourist boat carrying 53 people has capsized, killing 34 people including eight children that had been on board, as a further eight people remain missing.
The Wonder Sea had 49 tourists and five crew members on board when it was hit by a heavy storm at around 1.30PM on Saturday.
The vessel, which had been on a sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, overturned after being rocked by heavy rain and wind, VNExpress reported.
An onlooker told AFP, as reported by the New York Post, that the storm had come on suddenly, with the sky instantly turning dark as torrential rain pummelled down, with "hailstones as big as toes” as well as thunder and lightning.
An immediate rescue operation was launched after the boat capsized, with border guards, navy units, police and port authorities deployed along with 27 boats and two rescue vessels.
Rescue teams were able to save 11 people and recovered 34 bodies - eight of which were children - and efforts are continuing to locate those that remain missing.
According to reports, there were over 20 children on board at the time of the incident, including.a 10-year-old boy who was rescued from the water.
The boy, who is in hospital in a stable condition after having suffered multiple injuries, told 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."
All of the passengers on board are reportedly Vietnamese and included visitors from the capital of Hanoi, with the vessel having capsized near Dua Go Cave, a main landmark in the tourist hotspot.
According to local reports, the youngest passenger on board was just three years old, while the eldest was 54.
A 14-year-old passenger also survived the incident after being trapped inside the sunken cabin of the hull for four hours.
Bui Cong Hoan, deputy head of the Ha Long Cruise Ship Association told VNExpress: "Although the ship had overturned and the cabin doors were locked, there was still an air pocket about 50-60 cm [20-24 inches] wide.
"Enough for oxygen to get in, so the boy survived."
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared his condolences in the wake of the tragedy, and called for public safety officials to conduct an urgent search and rescue.
A government statement added that authorities will investigate the cause of the accident and "strictly handle violations".
Heavy rain has been complicating efforts to search for any remaining survivors, per the BBC.
The tropical storm, Wipha, is the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year, and is expected to hit Vietnam’s northern coast early next week.
Our thoughts remain with those affected by this tragedy.