15 dead in Vietnam tourist boat accident
by Lisa Hornung · UPIJuly 11 (UPI) -- A speedboat capsized off the coast of Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam Saturday, killing 15 Indian tourists aboard.
There were a total of 32 Indians aboard the boat, plus crew members. Of them, 13 men and two women died.
The boat capsized around 440 yards off Hon May Rut Ngoai, which is an island in the An Thoi archipelago off the coast of Phu Quoc, the Hindustan Times reported.
Several tourist boats in the area quickly came to the rescue, finding some passengers trapped inside the boat, the BBC reported.
Nguyen Tien Hai, a senior official in the area, said the speedboat may have capsized due to heavy winds and high waves.
"The top priority is rescue, bringing all victims ashore and focusing all efforts on providing emergency care to those who are still alive," Hai said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: "Extremely saddened to learn about the tragic news of a boat accident involving Indian nationals near Phu Quoc, Vietnam. My sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. My prayers for the early recovery of the injured survivors.
"Our Embassy and Consulate are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with the Vietnamese authorities," Modi said.
Ashish Kumar, 48 of Guntur, India, described the moment the boat capsized.
"The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. local time. The boat had gone barely [330 to 440 yards] when it tipped over. We were taking pictures, and it happened before we could react," he said. "The boat had hardly left the island. We were all screaming for help," he added.
Indian Member of Parliament K. NavasKani from Ramanathapuram, India, said Lava Mobiles had organized a trip to Vietnam for its mobile sales staff, who were also on the boat.
Lava Mobiles released a statement on X about the accident.
"We at Lava are deeply saddened to confirm that 14 of our channel partners and one member of our Lava team have tragically lost their lives in a boat accident earlier today near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam.
"Our hearts and prayers are with their families and loved ones. This is an unimaginable tragedy, and we stand with them during this time of profound grief.
"We are in close and continuous contact with the Embassy of India in Vietnam and the local authorities, and are doing everything possible to facilitate the earliest possible repatriation of the mortal remains. Our immediate priority is to support every affected family, and our teams in both India and Vietnam remain by their side, extending every possible assistance," the company said.