A tourist boat was caught fire and sank on Halong Bay early this afternoon, all eight people on board were rescued.

The boat, named Bai Tu Long, caught fire at about 10.30 this morning while on a trip near Ti Top Island.

It appears that the boat was owned by Hung Nguyen Limited Company and was registered as having two cabins. However, it was not yet licensed by Quang Ninh Port because it did not meet the requirements for tourist boat operations on the bay.

Speaking with DtiNews, the head of Ha Long Bay Management Board, Pham Thi Thuy Duong, said that it was just a cargo ship and was not licensed to serve tourists.

Meanwhile, the Director of Inland Waterways and Port, Le Hong Thang, said that Bai Tu Long only has two cabins and had been banned from operation for over a year for not meeting safety requirements.

Quang Ninh Port and Ha Long Bay Management Board sent rescue teams to the site and safely brought eight tourists to land.

Boat was sunk by 12.45pm.