Two people from Andhra Pradesh died and three others from the state were transferred to hospital in Vietnam after a tourist boat capsized near Phu Quoc Island, Andhra Pradesh government sources said.
Sources said the speedy tourist boat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members capsized near Phu Quoc Island while returning to An Thuy Port.
The accident claimed the lives of 15 Indian tourists, while 21 others were rescued. Among the survivors were 17 passengers and four crew members.
Two remain in critical condition, and all 36 people on board have been identified.
“Initial information indicates that two people from Machilipatnam were among the deceased. We are coordinating with the Indian embassy and Vietnamese authorities, and more details will be shared after official confirmation,” sources in Andhra Pradesh told PTI.
The sources added that three other people from the state were taken to hospital after the boat capsized.
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An Thoi Border Guard Station, the Navy, Coast Guard District 4 and local boats launched a large-scale rescue operation. They added that lifeboats and jet skis had been deployed.
The tour was organized by Vietnam-based Threeland Travel through local coordinating vendor Sai Vietnam, while the Indian tour group was reportedly linked to a mobile phone company.
Initial reports indicated that Jalalakshmi and Jayashree, both from Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, were among the deceased.
The identities of other affected Indian citizens are being verified, sources said.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation, with rough sea conditions and possible mechanical failure suspected.
Meanwhile, Harihar Srinivas, a member of the Indian group, told PTI on Saturday that 105 mobile phone distributors from South India have traveled to Vietnam on a trade incentive trip.
According to Srinivas, eight people from Telangana were also part of the overall tour, but none of them were on the boat that capsized.
He added that the group arrived on the island on Saturday. The visit was part of a business incentive program for distributors who met their sales targets.
Srinivas declined to identify the company that organized the trip.
“As far as we know, about 70 members were taken to the hospital. We took them to the hospital, but we don’t know what happened after that because we are still on the island,” he said.
Explaining the incident, Srinivas said that strong winds caused the boat to capsize.
It was a closed boat. This is the issue. He added that if the boat had been open, the risks might not have been as great.
