15 Indian Tourists Including Telangana Residents Die in Vietnam Boat Capsize

Fifteen Indian tourists, including distributors and employees from Telangana and other South Indian states, died after a closed speedboat capsized near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam on Saturday. The vessel was traveling from Hon May Rut Ngoai island to An Thoi Port when it turned upside down within three minutes of departure due to a strong storm and rough seas.

There were 36 people on board the vessel, including 32 Indian tourists, three crew members, and one attendant. While 21 people survived the accident, 15 tourists lost their lives after becoming trapped inside the vessel.

Nirmal Kumar, one of the survivors, explained that the closed speedboat was hit by a strong storm shortly after setting off, causing it to flip over rapidly. He stated that passengers near the front of the boat managed to escape by jumping through a window, with about 20 people escaping this way. However, those seated at the back were unable to get out and died.

Among the deceased was Muruga Prabhu from Palani. Kumar, who was a close friend of Prabhu, tried to help him escape through the front window, but Prabhu became stuck inside the capsized boat.

According to Kumar, the victims were part of a group of 110 Lava Mobiles distributors and employees from South India who were visiting Vietnam. He noted that while eight to nine of the deceased were from Tamil Nadu and two were from Kerala, the remaining victims were from Karnataka and Telangana.

Lava Mobiles released a statement confirming that its team members and channel partners were involved in the tragedy. The company stated it is in constant touch with the Embassy of India in Vietnam and local authorities to support the affected individuals and their families.

Local police in Vietnam have visited the survivors to conduct inquiries into the incident. The group had been scheduled to fly back to India on Sunday but remained behind to assist with the aftermath and arrange for the repatriation of the deceased.