The mortal remains of 15 Indians killed in a tourist boat tragedy off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island are being flown home to India. Vietnamese authorities have also launched criminal proceedings against the boat’s captain as investigations into the accident continue…reports Asian Lite News Desk
The mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals who lost their lives in the tourist boat tragedy off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island are being repatriated to India on Monday, the Indian Embassy in Vietnam has confirmed.
The victims died after a tourist boat carrying Indian visitors capsized off the southern Vietnamese island on July 11, turning what was intended to be a reward holiday into a devastating accident. Among those killed were 10 tourists from Tamil Nadu.
According to the Embassy, the bodies are being flown from Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai on Vietnam Airlines flight VN979. The flight departed Ho Chi Minh City at 6 p.m. local time and is scheduled to arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 9.35 p.m. IST.
In a statement posted on X, the Embassy said: “The mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals who tragically lost their lives in the 11 July boat accident will be repatriated from Ho Chi Minh City to India today via Vietnam Airlines flight VN979. The flight is scheduled to depart Ho Chi Minh City at 1800 hrs local time and arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai at 2135 hrs IST.”
The Embassy added: “The respective state governments have been informed and have been requested to kindly coordinate with the affected families for the onward journey of the mortal remains to their final destinations. The Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City pray for the family members of the deceased. We are available for any assistance.”
The state governments concerned have been requested to coordinate with the families so that the victims can be taken to their hometowns for their final rites after arriving in India.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities have initiated criminal proceedings against the captain of the tourist boat as part of the ongoing investigation into the fatal accident.
Police in southern An Giang province said they had detained 57-year-old captain Nguyen Hong Hai over alleged legal violations linked to the capsizing of the vessel. Hai, a resident of Thuan Tien hamlet in Son Kien commune, An Giang province, had been temporarily residing in the Phu Quoc special zone.
Officials have not disclosed further details about the alleged violations, and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is continuing.
Preliminary reports indicated that the boat was carrying around 32 Indian tourists. Of them, 17 were from Tamil Nadu, while the remaining passengers were from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala.
The vessel reportedly overturned while cruising in waters south of Phu Quoc, one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations. Rescue teams, emergency personnel and local residents rushed to the scene and launched a large-scale search and rescue operation shortly after the accident.
Several passengers were pulled from the water, while rescuers administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to those found unconscious in an effort to save their lives.
Despite the swift emergency response, authorities confirmed that 15 people died in the accident. The remaining passengers survived and were rescued before receiving medical treatment.
Vietnamese authorities have not yet officially disclosed the exact cause of the accident. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the capsizing while authorities in both Vietnam and India remain in contact with the affected families.
The repatriation of the victims marks the latest stage in the response to one of the deadliest accidents involving Indian tourists in Vietnam in recent years, as families prepare to receive their loved ones and investigations into the tragedy continue.
