What happened
A sightseeing boat capsized near Phu Quoc in Vietnam, killing 15 Indian tourists and leaving 21 people rescued. The boat had departed from Hon May Rut Ngoai in the An Thoi archipelago with 32 Indian tourists and 4 crew members and overturned about 400 metres from shore.
Vietnamese rescue forces carried out search-and-rescue operations in rough seas and strong winds. The Indian Embassy said the victims included 10 people from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Andhra Pradesh, and 2 from Kerala. Two survivors were reported to be in critical condition.
Background and official response
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and said Indian officials were in close contact with Vietnamese authorities and assisting affected Indians. State governments in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala also directed officials to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions in Vietnam.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister directed officials to recover the bodies and assist the affected families. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister sought the return of survivors. The Kerala Chief Minister’s office said the NORKA CEO was asked to contact the Vietnam Embassy for more details.
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