15 Indian Tourists Killed as Speedboat Capsizes Near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island
Phu Quoc (Vietnam), July 11: At least 15 Indian tourists lost their lives after a tourist speedboat capsized off Hon May Rut Ngoai near An Thoi on Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday. Vietnamese authorities confirmed that all 36 persons on board have been accounted for following the conclusion of search and rescue operations.
The vessel, identified as AG 26751 and operated by Ocean Pearl Island Company (Minh Huy Phu Quoc Trading and Tourism Co. Ltd.), was returning to An Thoi Port when it met with the accident. The boat was carrying 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and one attendant.
According to Vietnamese officials, the death toll stands at 15, comprising 13 men and two women, all of whom were Indian tourists. Twenty-one persons, including 17 passengers and four crew members, were rescued and shifted to hospitals for treatment. Two of the rescued tourists remain in critical condition and are receiving intensive medical care.
The Embassy of India in Vietnam has activated its emergency response mechanism. The Indian Ambassador, accompanied by Embassy officials, is travelling to Phu Quoc Island to coordinate with Vietnamese authorities, oversee consular assistance and extend support to the affected families. Ms. Priyanka has been designated as the nodal officer for coordinating relief efforts.
Officials said the official list of the deceased will be released after completion of the formal identification process, which is expected around 8 p.m.
Preliminary information indicates that seven tourists from the Telugu States were among those on board. They have been identified as Ramasubbu Annavi, Nagalamadugu Sohan, Nallapata Adiseshaiah, Chithapuram Bhaskara Vinay Kumar, Gelli Kishore, Gelli Jayalakshmi of Machilipatnam, and Mudium Sreedhar of Kadapa. Authorities are verifying their status through official channels.
Based on information available so far, Gelli Jayalakshmi of Machilipatnam, Mudium Sreedhar (49) of Kadapa, and Thomas Avicot Cheriyan of Tamil Nadu have been confirmed dead. The Kadapa district administration has contacted Sreedhar’s family and is extending necessary assistance. Local authorities have also released photographs of the rescued survivors to help family members identify their relatives.
With the rescue operation now concluded, Vietnamese authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the incident. Initial assessments indicate that adverse weather conditions, rough sea conditions and a possible mechanical malfunction may have contributed to the accident.
The Government of India, through the Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Vietnamese government and has assured all possible assistance to the affected Indian nationals and their families.
