Flames were reportedly sparked at about noon on the second floor of the Hoa Phuong 02 cruise, owned by Hoa Phuong Do Co., Ltd., when it was running in the area near Reu Island in Quang Ninh Province. The cruise originally departed from Hai Phong city at 9am yesterday morning.

Nineteen tourists were on board when the fire started, including 17 foreigners and two Vietnamese, together with a tour guide and five ship crew members.

Quang Ninh People's Committee yesterday afternoon decided to suspend all activities of the company's maritime vessels until the cause of the fire is verified.

VNS