Requiem held for 39 victims of boat capsizing in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay

The requiem mass took place at the Ha Long International Cruise Port, attended by senior Buddhist dignitaries including Most Venerable Thich Quang Tung, vice-president of the VBS’ Central Executive Council, and Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet, vice-president of the VBS’ Central Executive Council and chairman of the VBS provincial branch.

Quang Ninh Party secretary Vu Dai Thang, Trinh Thi Minh Thanh, deputy Party secretary of the province and chairwoman of the provincial People’s Council, and deputy Party secretary of the province Vu Quyet Tien, along with representatives from various departments and agencies, families of the victims, monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers, joined the event.

The requiem began early in the morning and was set to conclude at 9:00 pm, featuring a series of traditional Vietnamese Buddhist rituals such as the opening ceremony, the invocation ceremony, the procession, the reception of wandering souls, the grand Buddha invitation, the soul releasing ceremony, the summoning of the three palaces, the ceremony of karma release, and the lantern offering.

The requiem not only served as a farewell to the victims, but also reflected Vietnam's deep-rooted cultural values of remembrance, gratitude, and spiritual support for families enduring profound loss.

The tourist boat, with 49 people on board, flipped over while traveling in Ha Long Bay at around 3:30 pm on July 19, claiming the lives of 39 people.

Rescuers on Saturday afternoon recovered the body of the last missing victim of the tragic tour boat capsizing, identified as H.V.T., 40.

The body was found in the Hang Trong area, about 10 kilometers from the scene of the capsized boat.