Bodies of 15 Indians Killed in Vietnam Boat Tragedy Return Home
HANOI- The bodies of 15 Indian tourists who died after a speedboat capsized off southern Vietnam were being flown back to India on Monday, as authorities continued investigating the cause of one of the country’s latest tourist boating accidents.
The speedboat overturned near the shore on Saturday afternoon shortly after departing Hon May Rut Ngoai island, close to Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, according to Vietnamese authorities. The vessel was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members.
Vietnamese authorities have opened an investigation into the incident. State media reported that the boat’s captain, Nguyen Hong Hai, 57, is being investigated for alleged violations of inland waterway transport safety regulations.
The Indian Embassy in Hanoi said on social media that a flight carrying the remains departed Ho Chi Minh City and was expected to arrive in Mumbai late on Monday. The embassy added that authorities in the victims’ home states had been asked to coordinate onward transportation.
According to the embassy, 10 of those killed were from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, while three were from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala.
The victims were part of a company-sponsored trip organized by Lava International, an Indian smartphone and consumer electronics manufacturer. The company said the group included its employees, distributors and retail partners.
The embassy had earlier said that 16 survivors had been discharged from hospital and were returning to India. One injured passenger remained in critical condition at a hospital in Vietnam.
The accident occurred near Hon May Rut Ngoai island, located about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Phu Quoc, a major tourist destination known for its beaches and clear waters that attracts millions of domestic and international visitors each year.
India has become one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing tourism markets in recent years, with increasing numbers of Indian travelers visiting the Southeast Asian nation for leisure and corporate travel.