A boat capsized when it was battered by a storm in Vietnam this afternoon, leaving at least 28 people dead.

The vessel, seen in the video with a distinctive maroon keel, overturned when it was hit by choppy waves and heavy rain off the coast of Ha Long Bay shortly after 2pm local time.

Officials said the ferry was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members. At least 28 have been killed and several more are missing.

Divers were sent to the wreckage and the emergency services were seen retrieving dead bodies from the sea.

The incident comes shortly after the arrival of Storm Wipha in the South China Sea, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and lightning to the area.

Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, with millions of people visiting its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands each year.