A man who survived a horror incident on board a tourist boat has revealed how he managed to escape when the vessel capsized in a sudden storm.
According to reports, at least 35 people were killed when the boat capsized, including eight children that had been on board, as a further eight people remain missing.
The Wonder Sea had set sail with 49 tourists and five crew members on board for three-hour excursion when it was hit by an unexpected heavy storm at around 1.30PM on Saturday.
The vessel, which had been on a sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, overturned after heavy rain and wind pummelled the boat, 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 with torrential rain and "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 - one of whom later died in hospital - and recovered 35 bodies, eight of which were children, as efforts continue to locate those that remain missing.
One of the survivors - Dang Anh Tuan, a 36-year-old fire extinguisher salesman - revealed that the storm set in quickly, darkening the sky and bringing with it pouring rain and high winds.
He told the Associated Press that passengers had asked the crew to turn back but they responded that they were almost at their destination and kept the boat moving forward.
Tuan told the outlet: "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. Water gushed in and I lost all orientation."
Revealing how he managed to survive, Tuan explained: "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."
Tuan and several others survived by clinging to the capsized boat and its propellers as they waited around two hours for the rain to stop and rescuers to arrive.
The Wonder Sea was later seen being towed to a shipyard with most of its windows shattered and damage to the roof and handrails as an investigation is set to begin, per the New York Post.
Local reports stated that all of the passengers on board were Vietnamese, with most of them being tourists from Hanoi. Around 20 of those on board are believed to have been children.
Tuan was on holiday with 11 of his friends but only three of whom have survived.
He revealed that while he had suffered only minor cuts, one of his friends had sustained multiple injuries to his head, while the other had cut tendons from the broken glass as he escaped from the boat through a smashed window.
The other nine members of the group were tragically killed, including one who was traveling with his wife and three-year-old son, who also died.
Our thoughts remain with all those affected by this tragedy.