HANOI - Rescuers were desperately searching for five people still missing on Sunday after 37 were killed when a boat capsized in one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations.
The tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam's famed Ha Long Bay was lashed by a storm on Saturday in one of the UNESCO World Heritage site's deadliest disasters.
The "Wonder Sea" vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized because of sudden heavy rain, the VNExpress news site said.
Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, it said.
Border guards had rescued 11 people and recovered 34 bodies by Saturday evening, it added.
Overnight, three crew members' bodies were found in the cabin and rescue efforts continued into Sunday morning to find the five people still missing.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences on Saturday to the families of the deceased and called on the defence and public security ministries to conduct urgent search and rescue.
Authorities would "investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations", a government statement said.
Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, with millions of people visiting its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands each year.
Last year, 30 vessels sank at boat lock areas in coastal Quang Ninh province along Ha Long Bay after Typhoon Yagi brought strong wind and waves.
And this month, a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, killing at least 18 people.