British tourists feared dead as Vietnam tour boat sinks

British tourists are among 12 people who have died after their tour boat sank in Vietnam's picturesque Ha Long Bay, according to local officials.Doan Manh Linh, assistant director at the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Quang Ninh province, said that the boat went down at 5am with 27 people aboard.
Officials said that 12 bodies had been recovered, 11 of whom were foreign tourists and the final one was a tour guide. Britons were among the dead, they said.
The tourists were from Britain, America, France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland and Sweden.
Ngo Van Hung, director of the Halong Bay Management Department, said there were 20 foreign tourists, six crew members and the tour guide aboard when the boat went down.
He said the weather had been fine and the cause of the sinking remained unclear.
Local fishermen helped to pull survivors out of the water, he said.
Hung said three foreign tourists, including men from the US and France and a woman from Switzerland, were admitted to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
"They were in panic," Hung said "They were given first aid treatment and have already returned to their hotels."
The nationalisties of the dead have not yet been officially released.
Ha Long Bay is a tourism hot spot in Vietnam, located about three hours east of the capital, Hanoi. The entire bay is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We understand there has been a boat accident off the coast of Halong Bay and that foreigners were on board.
"We are in touch with the local authorities and hospitals to establish whether any British citizens are involved.
"A consular team is preparing to deploy to the site."
In September 2009, a tour boat sank during a storm on the bay, killing five, including two Britons: Tim Roney, 21, and Karen Puddifoot, 27, who were taking part in an around-the-world trip to raise money for the British Lung Foundation when they died.
In 2006, a powerful wind storm on the bay capsized several boats, killing 13 people, though no tourists were among the dead.
In 2002, strong winds capsized two tourist boats, killing several foreigners.
Halong Bay, whose name translates as "Descending Dragon Bay", is renowned for its limestone islands, of which there are around 3,000, which are home to small communities of fishermen who live in floating villages.