Tourist boats that offer overnight stays on Ha Long Bay in Vietnam have been told to raise quality and upgrade standards, including on-boat security, following an inspection by local authorities concerned about safety at the World Heritage site.
TTR Daily said the inspection was a response to the February disaster when a cruise boat sank during the night while at anchor in the bay. Twelve foreign tourists died.
The boat took on water in its hull and sank in seconds as tourists slept in their cabins. The captain, some crew members and 15 tourists survived.
The captain was arrested and charged with reckless behaviour.
According to provincial authorities, a subsequent inspection of the boats used by tour operators for overnight stays concluded 37 vessels had poor water partitions in hulls that are designed to prevent flooding, while 41 had inadequate fire fighting and pump equipment.
