Whirlwind kills 13 in Vietnam

A powerful wind storm capsized boats and swept people out to sea today, killing 13 people and injured 55 others in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay.

The death toll could rise as authorities are still searching for possible victims of the powerful wind that raged through the picturesque bay for 30 minutes, said Nguyen Van Tuan, chairman of the People’s Committee of Ha Long City.

Tuan said some of the victims were drowned when their boats were capsized while some others who were working on shore were swept into the sea.

Picturesque Ha Long Bay, 100 miles east of Hanoi, is a Unesco heritage site and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year.

Tuan said none of the victims were foreign tourists, despite the high season, because the wind struck too early in the morning.

In 2002, strong winds capsized two tourist boats in the bay, killing several foreigners.