Two Britons die as boat overturns

Sep 28 2009

Two British tourists have drowned after a packed boat overturned in wild seas in Vietnam.

The passengers - both in their 20s - died alongside a French man and two Vietnamese people when the vessel capsized with 25 passengers and seven crew members on board.

Other passengers were treated in hospital for shock and hypothermia after the incident, according to reports.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the deaths of two British nationals in the Halong Bay area. Consular assistance has been provided."

The boat was hit by heavy winds as it was returning to port on Thursday night. The Foreign Office was unable to confirm their identity but said two names reported locally in Vietnam were incorrect.

British Embassy officials travelled to the bay, located in the Gulf of Tonkin some 100 miles east of the capital, Hanoi, to help officials contact the two Britons' families.

Halong Bay has become increasingly popular with UK travellers, particularly divers for its coral reefs and freshwater swamp forests.

Sunny Bui, manager of Cruise Halong, one of the tour operators that run boat trips to Halong Bay, said an accident of this scale was almost unheard of in the area.

"It never happened like this before. There was no warning. (Tour operators) usually hear of typhoons and strong winds in the weather forecast, but this was a whirlwind that only lasted for 15 or 20 minutes, and nobody knew about it."