Britons die in Vietnam as boat sinks

BRITISH tourists were among those killed in north-eastern Vietnam after a boat sank, local officials said today.

At least 12 people died - 11 holidaymakers and a Vietnamese guide - when the incident happened in Halong Bay.

Ngo Van Hung, director of Halong Bay's management board, said tourists from the UK, US and Australia were among the dead.

Nine foreign tourists and six Vietnamese were rescued, and efforts were under way to find others who may still be missing.

Twenty-one tourists were on the live-aboard boat, according to Vu Van Bot, a police investigator in Quang Ninh province.

He said police were contacting local weather forecasters to determine conditions when the incident took place at 5am local time (10pm GMT).

The bodies of the victims have been sent to Bai Chay Hospital for identification.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: We understand there has been a boat accident off the coast of Halong Bay. A consular team is preparing to deploy to the site."