HANOI -- All 31 Chinese visitors, a guide and four crewmembers aboard a tourist ship were brought to shore safely after a collision between a ship and a cargo barge in Ha Long Bay, northern Vietnam's province of Quang Ninh, on Sunday.

The accident took place at 12:00 pm local time near Ti Top island when the tourist ship coded Hong Long 3109 on its way to the port after touring the bay, collided with the barge coded Hung Vuong HP3888, enroute from Hai Phong city to Hon Net seaport in Quang Ninh, Vietnam News Agency reported.

According to local authority, the barge was transporting some 1,700 tons of stone when the accident occurred.

The accident's cause is being investigated.