AT least three people have died after a tourist boat capsized in a popular Vietnam beauty spot.

The boat had 53 people – including five crew members – on board for a tour of Halong Bay when a “sudden gust of wind” flipped the vessel.

Rescue teams have found 12 survivors and recovered three bodies so far, the People’s Army Newspaper said.

Pictures from the scene show rescue boats surrounding the capsized vessel – with divers scrambling to find survivors.

Authorities have yet to disclose details about the tourists or their nationalities – and rescue operations are ongoing.

The accident occurred at approximately 2pm local time – shortly after Storm Wipha entered the South China Sea, where the area has been battered by strong winds, heavy rainfall, and lightning.

It’s the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year and it was set to make landfall along Vietnam’s northern coast early next week.

Halong Bay – situated roughly 125 miles northeast of Hanoi – attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Many of them take overnight boat tours.