15 Indian tourists killed as speedboat capsizes near Phu Quoc
A speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists overturned near Phu Quoc, killing 15 and leaving two survivors critically injured.
A speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members overturned near Hon May Rut Ngoai Island, off southern Vietnam’s Phu Quoc, killing 15 people and leaving two survivors critically injured. The boat went down shortly after departure, less than half a kilometer from shore, turning a routine island-hopping trip into one of the deadliest tourist boat disasters to hit the area.
Vietnamese authorities said 21 people survived the capsize. Rescue teams faced rough seas and strong winds as they searched the water near the island, and officials said the cause of the accident remained under investigation. Local reports placed the boat about 400 meters from shore when it overturned, as passengers shouted for help.
The route added to the scrutiny now facing the crash. The boat had been traveling from Hon May Rut Island to An Thoi Port when it capsized, raising immediate questions about the judgment used to move tourists through rough conditions so close to shore. Phu Quoc is one of Vietnam’s most popular island destinations, and its busy boat traffic has long depended on weather-sensitive transfers between islands and ports.
The Embassy of India in Hanoi set up emergency response centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to assist affected families, and it released the names of the deceased after receiving them from Vietnamese authorities. The dead were identified in reports as 10 people from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two from Kerala. For families in those states, the tragedy now runs through identification, emergency consular help and the practical burden of bringing loved ones home.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and said Indian officials were in close contact with Vietnamese authorities to provide assistance. The embassy’s emergency contact number is +84-913089165. The crash also revived memories of another major tourist-boat disaster in Vietnam in July 2025, when a storm-related capsizing in Ha Long Bay killed dozens, underscoring how vulnerable travelers remain when weather, safety oversight and emergency response fail at the same time.
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