At least 37 dead as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam

At least 37 people have died and several are still missing after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam during bad weather.

The incident took place in Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country.

Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese families visiting from the capital Hanoi.

Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say, but so far 11 people have been pulled from the water alive.

The vessel, named Wonder Seas, was carrying 53 people when it capsized after encountering a sudden storm, a statement from the Vietnamese Border Guards and navy said.

An eyewitness told AFP news agency that the sky darkened around 14:00 local time on Saturday (07:00 GMT).

There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", he said.

A 10-year-old boy was rescued after being trapped in an air pocket in the upturned hull, local media say.

"I took a deep breath... dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat", the boy - who had been travelling with his parents - told state media outlet VietnamNet.

Of the bodies so far recovered, at least eight were children, VNExpress reports.

Rescue efforts are set to continue into the night to find the many still missing.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the dead.

Authorities will investigate the cause of the accident and "strictly handle violations", a government statement said.

Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province is dotted with hundreds of tiny islets, attracting 4 million tourists in 2019, and is a Unesco World Heritage site.