Fateful trip to Ha Long leaves entire family in Hanoi dead

Late on the evening of July 20, in a small house hidden behind an alley in Khe Hoi village, Hong Van commune (Thuong Tin district, Hanoi), Mr. Le Trung Chi, 72 years old, sat quietly in front of a hastily set-up altar. On the portraits were his eldest son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren - who passed away after the tourist boat Vinh Xanh (QN-7105) capsized in Ha Long Bay on the afternoon of July 19.

The yellow light reflected on Mr. Chi's haggard face and silver hair further highlighted the lonely appearance of an old father who had lost everything.

All day he struggled to take care of his children's funerals. Only when the guests had left did he sit down and look up at the portraits of his children and grandchildren - the people who had been chirping and greeting him when he went out just the day before, but were now separated from the living world.

"I lost everything"

Sighing, as if wanting to relieve the pain that had been weighing heavily on his chest for more than a day, Mr. Chi recounted: “Two days ago, my daughter-in-law, X., brought her youngest son home to bathe my wife. My wife has been paralyzed for two years now, and every other day my daughter-in-law comes home to take care of her. She is very obedient and gentle…”

That day, Ms. X. said she would go on a beach vacation with her husband and two children. Her son, Mr. VA, also called to tell his father not to prepare food like usual: "Come to my house for a couple of days, don't bring anything!"

Because of his busy work, the children often don't have time to cook, so Mr. Chi often prepares food to bring up. Hearing his children's instructions, he nods in agreement, simply thinking that the children will go out and then come back.

“At 1:30 p.m. on July 19, VA video -called her and said he was playing at the beach. But less than a few hours later, I heard that a ship had capsized in Ha Long,” he choked up.

Mr. Chi sat quietly after seeing off the guests who came to visit his children.

At first, he did not think it was his family's boat, because he only knew that his children were going to the beach with their colleagues at the bus company, but he did not know the exact location. But he had a bad feeling, and he could not swallow his dinner that night. At that moment, a relative in Ha Long called to report: His children's boat had an accident, and it was unclear whether they were alive or dead.

“After hearing that, my hands and feet went weak. I immediately called my in-laws who were about 3km away from home, then I, along with two members of X’s family and three close friends of VA, immediately rented a car to Ha Long that same night, at 9:30 p.m…”, Mr. Chi said.

In the early morning of July 20, Mr. Le Trung Chi and his relatives were present at the morgue in Quang Ninh to identify the victims of the capsized boat. When he saw the bodies of his daughter-in-law and youngest grandson, he collapsed. Despite the extreme pain, he still hoped that his eldest son and eldest grandson were still alive.

However, at 4:30 a.m. the same day, the miracle did not happen. The authorities called him to confirm two more victims – his son, Mr. VA, and his eldest nephew. Their bodies were wrapped in white cloth bags. The staff gave him a bag, inside was the familiar watch that his son always wore. Quietly putting the watch on his wrist, Mr. Chi swallowed his tears and arranged to take his son’s family back to Hanoi.

The watch is a relic left by Mr. VA and is worn by Mr. Chi on his wrist.

“I used to be a soldier, fighting with American soldiers for many years, not afraid of bombs, not afraid of death. But when I saw my children and grandchildren lying there… I couldn’t stand it,” Mr. Chi choked up.

Amidst the pain that felt like a knife stabbing his heart, Mr. Chi still tried to stay calm. His children and grandchildren had passed away, and he told himself that he had to take care of the funeral properly. He discussed with his in-laws and decided to bring the victims back to their hometown for burial that same day, without delay.

According to local custom, funerals usually last until the afternoon before burial. But Mr. Chi wanted to do it quickly in the morning, so that his children and grandchildren could rest early, and also so that he could quickly escape the terrible feeling that was gnawing at his mind every hour.

Four ambulances took turns carrying the bodies of four members of his son’s family back from Ha Long. Mr. Chi sat in one of the ambulances with his eldest son’s body. The ride was filled with tears. During the entire journey, he did not dare to look to the side, only holding the watch tightly in his hand.

“I used to take him to school and to work. But I never thought I would have to pick him up in a situation like this…”, he said, his voice choking.

Mr. VA is the eldest son of Mr. V., who is driving a bus for a company in Hanoi. His wife, Ms. X., is a nurse at Bach Mai Hospital. Their two sons, one in 8th grade and the other in 6th grade, are well-behaved, polite, and are the spiritual support of their grandparents.

“I used to take my grandchildren to swimming lessons. I still had hope that maybe that skill would help them escape. But then... none of them came back. Everything was gone, I had nothing left,” the old father choked up.

When four ambulances stopped in front of the church for the ceremony, hundreds of local people, colleagues of Mr. VA and his wife, teachers and friends of the two children were already there early, standing tightly at the entrance to the church.

Before the accident happened, Mr. VA called a video of the sea for his younger brother to watch.

Witnessing the long, silent stream of people, Mr. Chi was moved to tears. He said that amidst the extreme pain, human love had become a spiritual support that helped him and his family ease some of the loss.

“There were people I didn’t know, no relatives, just heard the news and came to share, ask about, and light incense for my children. In the midst of hardship, having such a heart, I feel extremely warm,” Mr. Chi said.

On the morning of July 20, the funeral was held quickly according to the family's wishes. Mr. Chi's children and grandchildren were laid to rest together in their homeland.

Mr. Le Trung Nam (44 years old), Mr. VA's younger brother, still cannot believe the heartbreaking truth. He said that since the incident happened, the whole family has been unable to eat or sleep, no one has been able to sleep. The old mother cried out in shock when she heard that her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren had an accident.

“My brother and sister-in-law used to take their children out every summer, every year. Who would have thought that this trip would be a trip of no return…”, Mr. Nam said with a sigh.

In front of Mr. T. and Ms. K.'s house, relatives and neighbors set up a tent, arranged tables and chairs, and prepared to welcome the bodies of the two victims for the funeral.

The trip of two unfortunate colleagues from the same village

About 500m from Mr. Chi's house, the small house where Mr. T. and Ms. K. live is also immersed in a mournful, quiet atmosphere. They are two of the 46 victims in the Green Bay boat capsize in Ha Long Bay on the afternoon of July 19. Mr. T. is a colleague of Mr. Chi's son - Mr. VA.

On the morning of July 20, while most of the relatives had already moved to Ha Long to wait for the bodies of the two unfortunate victims, at home, relatives and neighbors were busy setting up tents, arranging tables and chairs, and preparing for the funeral. People in the surrounding area continuously came to ask and share their concerns, all of them unable to hide their grief.

According to the family representative, Mr. T. and Mr. VA both worked at a bus company in Hanoi. On this occasion, the group of drivers organized a vacation trip, but the family did not know the specific program. It was not until late at night on July 19 that the family received the bad news: Mr. T. and Ms. K. had an accident on the train.

Hong Van commune authorities visited and encouraged Mr. T. and Ms. K.'s family on the evening of September 20.

That same night, the whole family immediately rented a car to go to the scene, carrying with them a faint hope. By the morning of July 20, Mr. T.'s body was found and confirmed. Ms. K. is still missing, and the rescue team continues to search.

“Our family had to split into two buses, nearly 20 people including relatives were in Ha Long, just hoping to find Ms. K. soon to bring both husband and wife back for burial,” a relative shared.

On the same day, the small village where the two unfortunate families lived was immersed in an atmosphere of grief and loss. The villagers choked up as they recounted that Mr. T. was a driver, Ms. K. was a market vendor, their two children were grown up, the family was peaceful and happy. But after just one trip, everything suddenly fell apart, leaving everyone heartbroken.

But the greatest pain probably belongs to Mr. Chi’s family – where no one in his son’s family has returned. All four loved ones have passed away after a trip that seemed like a short-lived joy in everyday life. In the old father’s eyes, there is now only a cold void and memories of the times of picking him up and dropping him off, and the words of advice that have not yet been said.

Photo: Nguyen Ngoan

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/chuyen-du-lich-dinh-menh-o-ha-long-khien-ca-gia-dinh-o-ha-noi-thiet-mang-20250720230039315.htm