Hanoi: Fifteen Indian tourists were killed in a boat capsize incident in Vietnam Saturday, according to local media reports.
The speedboat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members. It capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai, an island in the An Thoi archipelago off the coast of Phu Quoc, Vietnamese news portal VN Express International reported.
The report, which quoted authorities in the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, further stated that nearby tourist boats rushed to assist before border guards, the navy, the coast guard and other forces joined the search-and-rescue operation.
Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, is a major tourist destination famed for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs and island-hopping excursions.
According to the English-language daily Viet Nam News, 21 people were rescued, while 15 were killed in the incident – all of them tourists.
Two of the rescued individuals are in critical condition, it reported.
Both local media outlets reported strong wave and wind conditions.
Earlier, the Indian Embassy in Hanoi posted about the boat capsize incident on X and said that control rooms were set up at the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City and at the Embassy in Hanoi to provide information and assistance.
The first control room can be reached at: +84 36 281 7930, +84 91 552 37 14 and +84 33 452 0414. The other one in Hanoi can be reached at: +84 91 308 9165.
The Indian mission, however, is yet to share any details about the deaths.