The survivors from a tourist cruise boat that sank in Ha Long Bay in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh were taken to Hanoi on February 18.

Quang Ninh provincial authorities expressed their sympathy to the families of the victims.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Doc said that the province has done all they can for the survivors, including providing accommodation in the four-star ASEAN Hotel in Bai Chay, Ha Long City.

The province has worked with the Foreign Ministry and the embassies of the victims who were on board to complete the necessary procedures for the repatriation of the surviving tourists and the bodies of the dead victims.

The committee provided 10 million VND to each foreign survivor of the accident and 20 million VND to each family of dead victims. It will cover all costs for cremation of bodies of the dead victims in Quang Ninh.
Immediately after the accident, the provincial leaders rushed to the scene to direct the rescue operation while local police and armed forces have been deployed for the work.
Quang Ninh police have prosecuted the case and are investigating the case further.

Also on Feb. 18, the provincial People’s Committee suspended passenger transportation in Ha Long Bay by the Truong Hai Co. Ltd., which owned the sunken ship.
The cruise boat, the Truong Hai 06 QN 5198, which had 21 tourists and six crew on board, sank while anchored off of Titov island in Ha Long Bay at 5 am on February 17.

Nine foreign tourists and all the crew were rescued, while 12 others lost their lives. Of the deceased, two were Swedish, two American, two Russian, one Scottish, one Japanese, one French, one Swiss and one Australian of Vietnamese origin along with their Vietnamese tour guide./.