At least 34 people are dead after a sudden thunderstorm caused a tourist boat to capsize in Vietnam on Saturday, according to local reports. 

The ship, called Wonder Seas, was transporting 48 travelers and five crew members during a sightseeing trip in Ha Long Bay, a favored spot for tourists, according to reports referenced by The Associated Press.

Rescue teams saved 11 individuals and recovered the deceased near where the vessel overturned, as reported by VNExpress newspaper. Search crews are urgently searching for the disaster’s other missing victims.

Survivors of the capsized boat in Vietnam were rescued on Saturday. (Associated Press)

A group of 15 divers went into the sea to search for victims and survivors. 

An eyewitness told AFP news agency that the sky darkened around 2 p.m. local time on Saturday.

There were “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning”, he said, per the BBC.

It does not appear that any Americans were on board. Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for clarification,

Tourist boats travel in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam on Oct. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Huy Han)

Ha Long Bay is situated in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam and is among the nation’s most famous natural sites, featuring over 1,600 limestone islands and islets. “Ha Long” translates to “Descending Dragon,” with local legends saying a dragon’s tail crashing into the sea created these formations.