Death toll from Vietnam tourist boat accident climbs to 38

HALONG BAY, Vietnam (Reuters) -The death toll from a tourist boat accident in Vietnam's Halong Bay climbed to at least 38 with several people still missing, the government said, as rescuers continued to search for survivors while bracing for the approach of Typhoon Wipha.

The vessel capsized on Saturday afternoon carrying 48 tourists and five crew members in one of the worst boating accidents in recent years in the popular tourist area.

"At least 38 of those on board have been confirmed dead and 10 rescued," the government said in a statement.

The official Vietnam News Agency reported that all the tourists were Vietnamese, including several children.

Dozens of rescuers, including border guards, navy personnel, police and professional divers, have been deployed. Although the sea had calmed, weather conditions limited visibility, making rescue operations difficult.

Rescuers managed to retrieve the sunken boat, the government said.

The accident took place around 2 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Saturday, soon after Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea.

Authorities reported strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning in the area at the time of the incident, adding that these conditions were not yet influenced by the approaching typhoon but were due to wind patterns over the northern region.

Halong Bay, about 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Boat tours are particularly popular.

In 2011, the sinking of a tour boat in Halong Bay killed 12 people, including foreign tourists.

Typhoon Wipha, the third to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to make landfall along Vietnam's northern coast early next week.

(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Edmund Klamann)