Vietnam

Vietnam: Officials Ban Unsafe Wooden Tour Boats in Halong Bay

Date: December 20th, 2012 |

After a sharp rise in boat-accident fatalities over the past two years, operators of the popular overnight tour boats that crowd Halong Bay will face stricter regulations in 2013. In addition to cracking down on operators who illegally run boat tours without lifejackets and other basic safety gear, the government has now issued a ban [read more]

Vietnam: Fatal Boat Accident in Ha Long Bay Raises Safety Concerns

Date: October 9th, 2012 |

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Five tourists drowned in Ha Long Bay Oct. 5 when another boat collided with their vessel and overturned it, throwing all 17 passengers into the water. None were wearing life jackets, and neither boat had safety or medical equipment on board. Cruising around the picturesque bay has become one of the country’s most popular tourist [read more]

Vietnam: Typhoon Kai-Tek Kills 27, Floods Capital

Date: August 21st, 2012 |

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Typhoon Kai-Tek made landfall Aug. 17, claiming 27 lives in northern Vietnam and severely disrupting ground transit in and around Hanoi. Many of the victims were swept away by rising floodwaters and landslides, which continued to cause havoc even after the storm had moved on. Flooded roads, uprooted trees and sinkholes have limited road travel, [read more]

Vietnam: Boat at Anchor Sank in Ha Long Bay, Took 12 People Down With It

Date: February 23rd, 2011 |

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Sailing on Ha Long Bay is a quintessential Vietnamese tourist experience that most visitors enjoy without incident. But tragedies have happened here, usually related to storms that have sunk boats. On Feb. 17, however, 12 people died, including 11 foreign tourists, when the boat they were sleeping on sank quickly at anchor on a calm [read more]

Vietnam: Dengue Fever Increases, Especially in the South

Date: May 20th, 2009 |

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More than 13,000 cases of dengue fever and 11 deaths have been recorded this year, an increase of 28 percent for the same period last year. Incidence of the disease has increased steadily over the last four years. Most of the recent cases were in southern Vietnam but a risk for the disease exists throughout [read more]

Vietnam: Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease Outbreak Declared

Date: November 14th, 2012 |

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More than 100,000 people in 63 provinces have died so far this year from Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD), prompting the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue an outbreak warning. HFMD is a viral illness spread by skin contact or touching a recently infected surface, and large [read more]

Vietnam: Officials Clamp Down on Ha Long Bay Tourist Harassment

Date: September 26th, 2012 |

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Authorities have banned tour boats from stopping at “floating villages” in Ha Long Bay, a recently voted World Heritage Site, after receiving numerous reports of tourist rip-offs and harassment. Overcharging and browbeating have become common occurrences during these stops, and some locals have been known to chase tourists back to the boats, demanding money. One [read more]

Vietnam: United Nations Warns of Avian Flu Virus Resurgence

Date: August 31st, 2011 |

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On Aug. 29, the United Nations warned of the resurgence of the Avian Flu Virus, saying that a mutant strain may be spreading through Asia. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the variant strain, which can apparently bypass vaccines and poses unpredictable risks to humans, has appeared in Vietnam and China. The circulation [read more]

Philippines and Vietnam: Typhoon Ketsana Lashes SE Asia

Date: October 1st, 2009 |

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Typhoon Ketsana dumped more than a month’s worth of rain on Manila and surrounding areas in a 24-hour period Sept. 26, flooding 80 percent of the city of 15 million people. Almost 250 people were reported killed and dozens were missing. Ketsana then moved on to Vietnam, where it killed at least 38 people and [read more]

Vietnam: Floods Wreak Havoc in Hanoi, Northern and Central Vietnam

Date: November 6th, 2008 |

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The worst floods in 35 years claimed 92 lives and inundated more than 100 Hanoi neighborhoods with at least a foot of water. Heavy rains let up Nov. 5 but scattered showers were forecast for the following two days, followed by more heavy rain. Authorities were hopeful that the flood waters would recede completely from [read more]

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