A tour boat has sunk in Halong Bay in Vietnam drowning at least 11 tourists and a guide.
At least 21 foreign tourists were on the boat when it sank before dawn local time. A provincial vice-governor was quoted by local media as saying the tourists on board were from the US, the UK, France, Russia, Denmark and Sweden.
The boat was sailing in the Unesco World Heritage Site in Quang Ninh province when it went down. It was also carrying two Vietnamese tourists, one of whom is believed to have died.
“So far the rescue team has rescued 15 people, including nine foreign tourists and six crew, and pulled out 12 bodies,” Ngo Van Hung, director of the Halong Bay Management Department, told the Reuters news agency.
Halong Bay is a popular stopping point for cruise ships on itineraries in Asia. Travellers often stay overnight on boats touring the scenic bay.