A tragic maritime accident has occurred in southern Vietnam, where at least 15 Indian tourists lost their lives after the speedboat they were traveling in capsized near the tourist island of Phu Quoc.
According to Vietnamese authorities, there were 32 Indian tourists and four crew members on board. So far, 21 people have been rescued and the injured have been taken to hospital for medical treatment, while search and rescue operations are ongoing.
The cause of the accident has not yet been determined.
Local media reports that the speedboat had set off from the popular island of Hon May Rut Ngoai after noon on Saturday and was returning to An Thoi International Port when it capsized about 400 meters from shore.
Footage posted on social media showed rescue teams pulling victims from the water and attempting to revive them. Witnesses told VN Express that boats near the scene arrived first and began rescuing passengers, before the Vietnamese border guards, navy and coast guard arrived in the area.
According to reports, many of the victims were trapped inside the overturned speedboat, making the rescue operation even more difficult.
The Indian Embassy in Hanoi announced that Vietnamese authorities are continuing search and rescue operations and that control rooms have been set up in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to coordinate communication with the families of the victims.
"The exact details of the incident are still being verified," the embassy statement said.
This is another serious maritime accident for Vietnam. In July last year, the Wonder Sea cruise ship capsized in Ha Long Bay during a storm, killing 39 people, in one of the worst maritime tragedies in the country's history.
