16 foreigners rescued as tourist boat bursts into flames in Ha Long
Thanh Nien News
HA LONG - Wednesday, February 04, 2015 10:27
A tourism boat on fire in Ha Long with 16 foreigners aboard on the night of February 3, 2015. Photo credit: Zing news website
A tourism cruiser went on fire in Ha Long Bay on Tuesday night, but all 25 people aboard including 16 foreigners were rescued just in time.
Authorities in Ha Long, a favorite tourist destination in northern Vietnam, said flames swept through the boat operated by a local company at around 8:10 p.m. while it was anchored at the bay, local media reported.
The three-star boat was carrying 16 foreign tourists, a tour guide, a cruise attendant and seven crew members.
The crew informed local authorities once they discovered a small fire starting in the cabin.
Firefighters and coast guards rushed over and rescued the tourists together with their belongings to the nearby Titop island.
They spent hours trying to put out the fire but it was so strong it burned down the whole boat.
The boat reportedly received some maintenance recently and just resumed service after meeting security and tourism service requirements.
It had 18 beds and private bathrooms for customers, as well as a dining area for 30 people.
This is not the first tourism boat accidents at the world’s heritage bay, which draws flocks of tourists every day.
At least two boats went on fire last year and another capsized, but no causalities were reported.
Police are investigating the cause of the latest incident.
