Vietnam boat capsize Highlights: Embassy confirms death of 15 Indians — 10 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Andhra, 2 from Kerala

A boat carrying a group of Indian tourists that capsized off an island in south Vietnam on Saturday had barely travelled 300-400 metres from the shore when it suddenly overturned, an Indian national who witnessed the tragedy said.

Ashish Kumar, a 48-year-old distributor of a mobile phone company from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur, said the tourists were divided into batches and ferried to the island as part of a company outing.

"We had all gone there as sellers, distributors and employees of Lava Mobile. We reached Vietnam on July 9 and were supposed to return to India on Sunday morning," Kumar told PTI over the phone.

According to him, one of the three boats, carrying 32 Indian tourists, had left the Hon May Rut Ngoai island for another island, while the remaining two groups were still on Hon May Rut Ngoai, taking photographs.

"The incident happened around 1:30 pm local time. The boat had gone barely 300 to 400 metres 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," Kumar said, adding that the weather conditions were not adverse.

"There was some wind but that is expected in an island," he said. PTI

BJP Telangana president N Ramchander Rao on Saturday sought aid from the Ministry of External Affairs for the affected families after 15 Indian nationals were killed when a boat capsized near Phu Quoc Island earlier in Vietnam.

Calling the incident "tragic," Speaking to ANI, Rao said, "This is a tragic incident in which many people lost their lives. It has been reported that more than 15 victims are from the Telugu states." "On behalf of the BJP, we extend our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives. We also offer our condolences to their families. We will take up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure that all possible assistance is provided, including bringing the bodies back home," he added.

BJP MP Eatala Rajender also expressed condolences and said the Centre would extend all possible support.

"The Indian government will do everything possible to gather information and provide assistance to the families," Rajender told ANI. ANI

Saddened by the news of a boat accident in Vietnam in which many Indian nationals lost their lives. My deep condolences to the grieving families. I pray for speedy recovery of the injured. — President Droupadi Murmu

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to X and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the accident.

Vietnamese authorities have confirmed 15 fatalities (13 men and 2 women), all Indian tourists. 21 persons (17 passengers and 4 crew members) were rescued and admitted to hospitals. Two survivors remain in critical condition and are receiving intensive medical care. The Embassy of India in Vietnam has activated its emergency response mechanism.

The search and rescue operation has concluded, and Vietnamese authorities have initiated a detailed investigation. Adverse weather conditions, rough seas and a possible mechanical malfunction are being examined as the probable causes of the accident.

The Government of India, through the Embassy of India in Hanoi and the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, continues to closely monitor the situation in coordination with the Government of Vietnam. Further verified updates will be issued as official information becomes available: Dr Arja Srikanth, Special Commissioner and Special Representative for the Andhra Pradesh Government at AP Bhavan in New Delhi. ANI

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to X and shared his condolences.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to share his condolences. He also said the embassy in Vietnam and the consulate are "providing all possible assistance".

As per information, most of the people onboard worked with Lava, a mobile company. In a statement, the company said, “We are deeply saddened to learn about the tragic incident in Vietnam involving our channel partners and team members. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident."

It added, "We are in constant touch with the Embassy of India in Vietnam and the local authorities, and are closely monitoring the situation. Our immediate priority is to extend all possible support to those affected and their families. Our teams in both India and Vietnam are in regular contact with the families and are providing all possible assistance."

The boat that capsized in Vietnam, killing several Indian nationals, had many employees and distributors of Lava Mobiles, a company representative told The Indian Express. Many of the dead are believed to be from Andhra Pradesh; the final toll is yet to become clear.

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Indian embassy in Vietnam sets up control room.

Eyewitnesses told VN Express that nearby boats rushed to the scene and began pulling passengers from the water, before border guards, the navy, coast guard and other rescue agencies arrived.