Last night a tourist boat carrying 25 passengers was engulfed in flames as it was anchored in Ha Long Bay.
Authorities said that the fire began around 8:10pm in the cabin of the ship, forcing the 16 foreign tourists and nine staff into the hands of firefighters who evacuated them to safety, reports Thanh Nien.
The fire, which occurred near Titop Island, reduced the entire boat, a 3-star vessel operated by a local company, to a skeleton as firefighters were unable to contain the blaze.
According to the paper, the vessel had recently returned to service after receiving unspecified maintenance and “meeting security and tourism service requirements.”
