Vietnamese police on Sunday detained the captain of a speedboat that capsized off the country's southern coast a day earlier, resulting in the deaths of 15 Indian tourists near Phu Quoc Island. The captain, 57-year-old Nguyen Hong Hai, is being investigated for alleged violations of inland waterway transport safety regulations, according to Vietnamese state media.
The speedboat was carrying 32 Indian tourists along with four Vietnamese crew members when it overturned less than half a kilometre from the shore on Saturday afternoon, shortly after departing Hon May Rut Ngoai Island near Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island.
The victims were part of a company-sponsored incentive trip organised by Indian smartphone manufacturer Lava International for its employees, distributors and retail partners. Lava confirmed that 14 of those who died were channel partners, while one was a company employee. The group included participants from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
According to the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, 16 survivors have been discharged from hospital and are returning to India, while one injured passenger remains in critical condition. The bodies of the deceased are being transported to Ho Chi Minh City before being repatriated to India after the completion of official procedures.
The embassy said that 10 of the victims were from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the tragedy and extended sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives. He said the Indian Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam were providing all necessary assistance and remained in close coordination with the Vietnamese authorities.
Eyewitness recounts the accident
Ashish Kumar, a Lava distributor from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh who was part of the trip, told the Associated Press that the group had been divided into three batches to travel between the islands. He said the first boat had already departed, while two others were still near the shore when the vessel suddenly capsized.
"The boat was relatively close to shore when it flipped. We screamed, 'Help! Help!'" Kumar said, adding that nearby boats rushed to assist, although many passengers had already been thrown into the rough sea.
Local boat operator Ha Van Loc told Vietnamese media that he spotted the overturned boat at around 12:40 pm and saw several passengers clinging to the hull while others struggled in the water without life jackets. He and his crew managed to rescue four people by throwing life buoys attached to ropes before alerting nearby boats and rescue teams.
Nearly a dozen boats participated in the rescue operation, but rough sea conditions and waves of up to three metres made the effort difficult. Jet skis were later deployed to bring survivors safely back to shore.
According to state media, passengers had been instructed to wear life jackets before departure. However, many were reportedly carrying the jackets instead of wearing them when the boat overturned. Some passengers became trapped inside the vessel but managed to escape through its windows and the bow after it capsized.
