The People’s Committee of Ha Long City on Thursday requested the inland waterway port authority to suspend all activities of 14 wooden cruise boats operating in Ha Long Bay.

Fire on the Anh Duong QN 3598 tourist boat in Ha Long Bay on January 29.

The suspension comes into effect from Saturday and will hold until further notice from the committee.

The cruises, which have been operating in the popular tourist destination in the coastal province of Quang Ninh, have been suspended as they have not implemented fire prevention and tourist boat safety measures, as required by the committee. The tourist boats will not be allowed to leave and enter ports, nor conduct any activities in the bay.

On May 29, the committee had requested all wooden tourist boats built in the 2006-08 period to complete their fire safety prevention measures and to get them verified by local registry offices before July 25.

Of the 14 suspended cruises, two are operated by Tuan Chau Five Star Yacht JSC, four by Bhaya Cruise Co. Ltd., and three by Bài Thơ Tourist Transportation Company. The remaining five cruises belong to the five companies: Romantic Sail Co. Ltd., Thành Hưng Co. Ltd., Hạ Long Sail JSC, Vịnh Xanh Tourism Co. Ltd. and Hương Hải Group Co. Ltd. 

VNS