A boy survived the sinking of a tourist boat in Vietnam which killed dozens of people by sheltering in an air pocket of the overturned vessel, it has emerged.

The death toll from a tourist boat accident in Vietnam's Halong Bay climbed to at least 38 with several people still missing, the government said, as rescuers continued to search for survivors while bracing for the approach of Typhoon Wipha.

A tourist boat capsized during a typhoon in Vietnam's Hạ Long Bay on Saturday, July 19, resulting in 34 bodies being found.