Man tells of escape from capsized Ha Long Bay tourist boat

Dang Anh Tuan, 36, was on holiday with 11 university friends, when the Wonder Sea overturned on a sightseeing tour during a sudden thunderstorm.

Only three of his group survived, while the nine others, including a man who was travelling with his wife and three-year-old son, were among at least 38 people killed.

Five other people remain missing from the boat, which was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members, all of whom were Vietnamese, according to state media.

Mr Tuan said a storm quickly covered the sky, bringing high winds and pouring rain, as the boat embarked on a three-hour trip.

He said the passengers asked for the boat to turn back to shore, but the crew reassured them they were almost at their destination and kept moving forward.

"The boat capsized in less than a minute. 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," he 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."

Mr Tuan survived by clinging on to the capsized boat and its propellers, waiting for another two hours until the rain stopped and rescue workers arrived.

They saved 11 people, including a 14-year-old boy trapped for four hours in the overturned hull, but one survivor died in hospital, according to the VNExpress newspaper.

The newspaper said most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children, and the boat turned upside down because of strong winds.

Mr Tuan escaped with minor cuts, but one of his friends suffered multiple injuries to his head while another cut his tendons as he tried to escape the boat through a broken window.

Speaking from her hospital bed, survivor Dang Thuy Linh said her family and friends were still missing.

"There are still my husband, my child(ren), my friend and their family. I hope they will all be rescued soon," she said.

"Don't leave anyone in the boat. The air is running thin and hope for surviving is running out."

A tropical storm is also moving towards the area, with a national weather forecast predicting Storm Wipha will hit Vietnam's northern region next week, including Ha Long Bay's coast.

Ha Long Bay is around 125mi (200km) north east of Hanoi and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.

-SKY NEWS