An early warning system will be installed in Ha Long Bay. (Photo: VNA)  

The northern province of Quang Ninh is working with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology’s Institute of Earth Sciences (IES) to study the installation of an early warning system for thunderstorms, heavy rains, and dangerous sea waves in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bays following the tragic Vinh Xanh 58 tourist boat capsizing.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Duc An laid stress on the significance of implementing the system in key coastal zones, stating the move aims to ensure tourism safety while contributing to the local socio-economic development.

The province will allocate resources for both the project investment and operation, he added.

A representative from the IES proposed a high-resolution monitoring and forecasting network for Quang Ninh, with state-of-the-art equipment similar to the model successfully used in Hanoi. The province and the institute conducted assessments of the system’s effectiveness, investment methods, and operational frameworks.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment is responsible for building the project and advising the People’s Committee on investment approval.

A powerful line of thunderstorms tore through northern Vietnam and the Gulf of Tonkin on July 19 afternoon, unleashing torrential rain, lightning, and fierce winds that culminated in a tragic capsizing of a tourist boat in Ha Long Bay. The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting attributed the extreme weather to a convergence zone sweeping through the region, which, combined with three days of scorching temperatures, created unstable atmospheric conditions ripe for severe storms.

Among the 49 people onboard the boat (including 46 tourists and 3 crew members), only 10 survived the accident./.