Tourist boats at Hạ Long Bay in the northern province of Quảng Ninh. —VNA/VNS Photo Đức Hiếu

QUẢNG NINH — A tourist has reported being stranded on an island in Hạ Long Bay by a tourist boat, prompting an investigation from the Quảng Ninh Province's transport deparment.

The tourist previously claimed on their Facebook account about the "disastrous travel experience” after the boat that dropped them off on Ti Tốp Island departed without them.

The passenger was not notified by phone about the boat leaving and had been waiting for 30 minutes at the wharf, unable to call the boat operator’s phone number, according to the post.

Initial reports said that on Sunday, a tourist boat identified as QN 926x carried 99 people to Ti Tốp Island in Hạ Long Bay.

The boat was not able to gather everyone when leaving the island due to the large number of passengers. Another vessel was then arranged to bring them back ashore.

The incident was not reported to the local Inland Waterways Administration or Hạ Long Bay Management Board, which only learned of the case after it was published on social media.

The ship owner was also contacted and notified of the responsibilities of all involved in the case to prevent similar incidents from occurring and to ensure the safety of tourists when visiting the bay. — VNS