Authorities have halted the salvaging of a tour boat which sank in the world famous Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam yesterday morning killing 12 tourists from 9 different countries.

At 4:20 pm, authorities temporarily halted the salvage due to shallow water.

Salvage will continue from 6am tomorrow (Saturday). The boat is expected to be towed ashore at 11h noon.

Water will then be plucked out and police will examine the scene.

Salvage process

At 11am today, the tide was down, revealing the sunk vessel’s mast and flag.

By 1pm today, it was partially lifted and by 2pm, the boat’s first storey completely showed.

It was then hoisted and tugged towards a nearby islet.

At 2:26 pm, the vessel was 300m away from shore.

By 4pm, two thirds of the boat body was revealed above water and was 200m from the nearest islet.

Luggage and clothes were collected for investigation.

Earlier, police, military forces, three tug boats and other specialized tools were mobilized towards the scene near Ti Top Island to retrieve the Truong Hai 06.

The 12 perished tourists including 10 foreigners, one Vietnamese-Australian and one Vietnamese citizen died when they were sleeping aboard the boat which sank at around 4.45am.

Many Ha Long Bay tour boats have dining facilities and cabins for tourists to spend the night on the waters.

For now, local authorities have banned tour boats from letting their customers spend the night on board.

This is one of the worst accidents in Vietnamese history involving foreign tourists.

Ha Long Bay, about 100 miles east of the capital Hanoi, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. It is probably the most famous tourism hot spot in Vietnam.

This morning, foreign tourists are seen touring the Bay as usual.

Meanwhile, police have initiated proceedings to criminally investigate the case.

Initial investigation shows that one wooden plank in the engine room got cracked, letting in sea water, which capsized the boat.

Below is the list of victims.

List of perished tourists:

1. Mccormick Stuart (male- born in 1980): UK

2. Pyle Holly Michelle (female- 1985): US

3. Taylor Samantha Kay (female- 1989): US

4. Voropinova Elena (female- 1962): Russian

5. Voropinova Anastasia (female- 1987): Russian

6. Nakahara Jumpei (male- 1990): Japanese

7. Noblecourt Laetitia Francoise Monique (female- 1983): French

8. Bankestad Viola Birgitta (female- 1991): Swede

9. Krok Anna Ellen (female- 1990): Swede

10. Gerber Baniamin Charly (male- 1985): Swiss

11. Đinh Văn Thắng (male- 1983): Vietnamese

12. Lâm Ngọc Châu (male- 1979): Vietnamese-Australian (Australian passport)

List of rescued tourists:

1. Stobbe Marie Elisabeth (female- born 1990): Danish

2. Pedersen Kasper Kammersgaard (male- born 1987): Danish

3. Scattarelli Claudio (male- 1990): German

4. Sacconi Stefand (male- 1978): Italian

5. Corda Stefand (male-1975): Italian

6. Fosmire George William (male-1988): US

7. Nguyễn Khương Duy (Male-1975): Vietnamese-Australian

8. Abrard James Dany Michel Eddy (male- 1983): French

9. Smhidli Ramona (female- 1990): Swiss

Nguyen Manh Ha, deputy chief of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, said that aboard the ship belonging to Truong Hai Company were 26 people including one captain, four crew members, one tour guide, and 20 foreign tourists.

The weather was normal at the time of the accident, he added.

Vietnam hands over dead tourists to embassies

By yesterday afternoon, the six bodies have been handed over to embassies.

A total of 12 tourists including 10 foreigners, one Vietnamese-Australian and one Vietnamese citizen died when they were sleeping at 4.45 am Thursday when their tour boat sank near Ti Top Island of the world famous Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam.

But the four bodies of two Swedes, one Japanese and one UK citizen will not be handed over to their embassies but their families will receive them directly as per their requests, said Dang Huy Hau, deputy chairperson of Quang Ninh People’s Committee. Ha Long Bay is part of Quang Ninh province.

Yesterday evening, local government and respective embassies sent all the rescued tourists to Hanoi.

On the same day, the Committee announced it will donate VND20 million (US$1,000) to each family of the perished foreign tourists. As to the Vietnamese man who died, his family will be compensated in line with domestic regulations.

The Committee also gave each rescued tourists VND10 million (US$500) and pledged to finance all their medical treatment and accommodation during the time spent in Quang Ninh.

“The province will seriously, objectively punish all those responsible for the boat sinking. There is no exception”, confirmed Hau to Tuoi Tre.

The local government has also suspended the Truong Hai Company that operated the sunk boat since yesterday.

The government banned tour boats from letting their customers spend the night on board on two days: Thursday and Friday during salvage works.

Currently, there are 131 boats licensed for overnight cruises in Ha Long.

Initial investigation shows that the board plank in the engine room was cracked, letting in sea waters which capsized the boat.

The captain and crew members who have been rescued are being detained for investigation.

“This is the worst accident ever in the Vietnamese tourism industry”, said Nguyen Quy Phuong, deputy head of a department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Source: Tuoi Tre